OUR  LADY  OF  PERPETUAL  HELP 


(Slorie*  of  jWarp  in 
JSostfon 

A  Memorial  History 


OF  THE 


Cfwrcf)  of  ©ur  Habp  of  perpetual  Help 

(Mission  Church) 

Roxbury,  Mass. 
1871—1921 

BY 

THE  REV.  JOHN  F.  BYRNE,  C.  SS.  R. 


Mission  Church  Press 
Boston,  Mass. 


NIHIL    OBSTAT 

PATRICIUS  J.  WATERS,  PH.  D. 

Censor  Librorum 
Die  XXVIII  Martii,  MCMXXI 


Imprimatur 

^GULIELMUS  CARDINALIS  O'CONNELL 

Arc hiepi scopus  Bostoniensis 
Die  XXVIII  Martii,  MCMXXI 


Cum  permissu  Supertorum 


Copyright,  1921,  by  James  Barren 


S&fi 
URL 


PROTESTATION. 

In  obedience  to  the  decrees  of  Pope  Urban  VIII, 
the  author  declares  that  whatever  is  extraordinary 
in  this  book  is  to  be  understood  only  in  the  -sense 
sanctioned  by  the  Church,  whose  judgment  in  all 
matters  he  accepts  with  unreserved  and  cheerful 
submission. 


ACKNOWLEDGMENT. 

The  author  hereby  acknowledges  his  deep  debt  of 
gratitude  to  the  many  friends  who  gave  him  valuable 
information  on  various  points. 


To 

The  Ever  Gracious 

of  perpetual 

Whose 
Singular  Favor 

Has  Blessed 

The  Mission  Church 

During  All  These 

Golden  Years 


This  Volume 

A  Labor  of  Love 

Is  Humbly  Dedicated 

By  Her  Unworthy  Servant 

The  Author 


JUBILEE   HYMN. 

CANTICLE  OF  THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  MARY. 

My  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord. 

And  my  spirit  hath  rejoiced  in  God  my  Saviour. 

Because  he  hath  regarded  the  humility  of  his  hand- 
maid; for  behold  from  henceforth  all  generations 
shall  call  me  blessed. 

Because  he  that  is  mighty,  hath  done  great  things  to 
me;  and  holy  is  his  name. 

And  his  mercy  is  from  generation  unto  generations, 
to  them  that  fear  him. 

He  hath  shewed  might  in  his  arm :  he  hath  scattered 
the  proud  in  the  conceit  of  their  heart. 

He  hath  put  down  the  mighty  from  their  seat,  and 
hath  exalted  the  humble. 

He  hath  filled  the  hungry  with  good  things;  and  the 
rich  he  hath  sent  empty  away. 

He  hath  received  Israel  his  servant,  being  mindful 
of  his  mercy: 

As  he  spoke  to  our  fathers,  to  Abraham  and  to  his 
seed  for  ever. 

'     — St.  Luke,  1 :46-55. 


SOURCES   OF   INFORMATION. 

1 — The  Chronicles  of  the  Mission  Church. 

2—"  The  Town  of  Roxbury,"  by  Francis  Drake, 
Boston  Municipal  Printing  Office,  1908. 

3—"  The  Catholic  Church  of  New  England,  Arch- 
diocese of  Boston,"  edited  by  James  S.  Sullivan, 
M.  D.,  Boston  and  Portland,  1895. 

4—"  The  Memorial  History  of  Boston,  1630-1880," 
edited  by  Justin  Winsor,  Boston,  1881. 

5 — "  The  Apparitions  and  Shrines  of  Heaven's 
Bright  Queen,"  by  William  J.  Walsh. 

6 — Bishop  England's  Works,  vol.  V,  General 
Appendix,  Documents  Relating  to  Charlestown 
Convent. 

7—"  The  Story  of  Mt.  Benedict,"  by  B.  F.  De 
Costa:  Citizen  Press,  1893. 

8—"  Fannie  St.  John,"  by  Mrs.  Emily  Pierpont 
de  Lesdernier. 

9— "Rome,"  vol.  IV,  1908. 
10—"  The  Queen's  Work"  (April,  1908). 
11 — "  Reminiscences  of  Four  Redemptorist  Fathers," 
by  the  Rev.  William  G.  Luecking,  C.  SS.  R., 
Ilchester,  Md.,  1891. 

12— The  Catholic  Encyclopedia,  vol.  XII,  "Re- 
demptorists,"  by  the  Rev.  Joseph  Wuest,  C.  SS. 
R.  (pp.  683-685). 

13 — Donahoe's  Magazine,  vols.  XXI  and  XXII, 
"  History  of  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Per- 
petual Help,"  by  the  Rev.  Charles  Warren  Cur- 
rier, C.  SS.  R. 

1 4 — The  Files  of  the  Boston  Pilot,  the  Boston  Post, 
the  Boston  Globe,  the  Boston  Herald,  and  of 
the  Republic. 
15 — Recollections  of  Old  Parishioners. 


CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION 


THE  HISTORIC  SITE     .........  25 

THE  SILVER  LIGHT  OF  THE  MORNING  STAR     .  41 

FIRST  PERIOD: 
THE  PURPLE  DAWN 

Mother's  Day      ...........  55 

Tantum  Ergo  Sacramentum     ......  58 

THE  REV.  WILLIAM  H.  GROSS,  SUPERIOR  62 

The  First  Mission  ..........  65 

Generous  Benefactors  .........  69 

Father    Gross   Adorned    with    the    Episcopal 

Purple     .............  74 

THE  REV.  LEOPOLD  PETSCH  AT  THE  HELM  76 

The  Foundations  of  the  New  Church      ...  82 

The  Laying  of  the  Corner-Stone     .....  83 

THE  REV.  WILLIAM  LOWEKAMP,  RECTOR  90 


4          ,THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

SECOND  PERIOD: 
THE  GOLDEN  SUNRISE 

The  Dedication  of  the  New  Church     ....  9? 

Description  of  the  Church  in  1878     .     .     .     .  100 

THE   REV.   JOSEPH   HENNING   BECOMES 

RECTOR 107 

THIRD  PERIOD: 
THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR 

The  Establishment  of  the  Parish 115 

The  Battalion  of  Innocence 120 

Father  Henning's  Silver  Jubilee 126 

THE  REV.   AUGUSTINE   MC!NEENEY   IN 

COMMAND 130 

The  Establishment  of  the  School  .....  134 

Farewell  to  Father  Mclnerney 146 

IN  THE  DAYS  OF  FATHER  FRAWLEY  .     .  148 

Father  Currier  and  the  Carmelite  Nuns     .     .  148 

Silver  Jubilee  of  the  Miraculous  Picture     .     .  153 

The  Blessed  Sacrament  Parish 154 

The  Beautifying  of  the  Church 161 

"The  Second  Spring" 165 

The  Mission  Church  When  Renovated     .     .     .  166 

A  Grand  Triple  Celebration 180 

The  New  Organ 189 


CONTENTS  5 

St.  Alphonsus'  H^ll 197 

The  New  Rectory 207 

THE  ADMINISTRATION  OF  FATHER  HAYES  212 

The  Printing-Press 216 

St.  Gerard's  Chapel 219 

"A  Great  Sign  Appeared  in  Heaven"     .     .     .  226 

The  Blessing  of  the  Bells 227 

Eucharistic  Triumphs 242 

The  Playground 248 

Our  Lady*s  Golden  Vesture 256 

THE  RECTORATE  OF  FATHER  KENNA     .     .  260 

The  Flag-Raising 261 


PART  SECOND 

SPECIAL  TOPICS 

THE  SHRINE 281 

IN  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY  331 
THE  SCHOOL  —  ITS  DEVELOPMENT  AND  TRI- 
UMPHS       391 

THE  SCHOOL  SISTERS  OF  NOTRE  DAME    .     .     .  396 

CHURCH  SOCIETIES 402 

The  Archconfraternity  of  the  Holy  Family        .  402 

The  League  of  the  Sacred  Heart 411 

The  Altar  Society 412 

The  Church  Debt  Society 412 

The  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society 413 

The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith    .  415 


6          THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

PILATE'S  DAUGHTER 416 

THE  ST.  ALPHONSUS'  ASSOCIATION     ....  423 

THE  MISSION  CHURCH  FIELD  BAND  ....  444 

THE  ALUMNI  ASSOCIATION 454 

THE  GUILD  OF  OUR  LADY 458 

THE  CHOIR 463 

THE  USHERS 467 

SOME  PARISH  ACTIVITIES 468 

Hospitals 468 

Confessions  of  Nuns 468 

Masses  at  Convents 469 

Sunday   Work 470 

Lenten   Sermons — 1920 473 

PARISH  STATISTICS 475 

OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER'S  OWN 476 

THE  FATHERS  ATTACHED   TO   THE   MISSION 

CHURCH,  1871-1921 487 

OUR  DEVOTED  LAY  BROTHERS 489 

ASLEEP  IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER  493 

The  Rev.  Leopold  Petsch,  C.  SS.  R 493 

The  Rev.  John  O'Brien,  C.  SS.  R 501 

The  Rev.  John  Beil,  C.  SS.  R 508 

The  Rev.  Michael  Gates,  C.  SS.  R 516 

The  Rev.  William  O'Connor,  C.  SS.  R.  .     .      .  518 

The  Rev.  Joseph  McGrath,  C.  SS.  R.     .     .      .  522 

The  Rev.  Eugene  Walsh,  C.  SS.  R 525 

The  Rev.  Bernard  Cullen,  C.  SS.  R 526 

The  Rev.  Andrew  Wynn,  C.  SS.  R 528 

Bro.  George  Meyer,  C.  SS.  R 530 

Bro.  Louis  Kirchner,  C.  SS.  R.     .....  530 

The  Most  Rev.  William  H.  Gross,  C.  SS.  R.      .  532 

The  Rev.  Joseph  Wissel,   C.  SS.  R 537 


CONTENTS  7 

The  Rev.  Augustine  Freitag,  C.  SS.  R.  .      .      .  539 

The  Rev.  William  Lowekamp,  C.  SS.  R.  .      .      .  541 

The  Rev.  Francis  X.  Miller,  C.  SS.  R.  .      .      .  543 

The  Rev.  Peter  Bausch,  C.  SS.  R 544 

The  Rev.  Joseph  Henning,  C.  SS.  R.       .      .      .  545 

The  Rev.  Augustine  Mclnerney,  C.  SS.  R.  .      .  546 

The  Very  Rev.  William  G.  Luecking,  C.  SS.  R.  549 

The  Rev.  Michael  Corduke,  C.  SS.  R.     .     .     .  550 

The  Rev.  Peter  Corr,  C.  SS.  R 551 

The  Rev.  James  Doyle,  C.  SS.  R.       ....  553 

The  Rev.  John  Phinn,  C.  SS,  R 554 

The  Rev.  Henry  Murphy,  C.  SS.  R 555 

The  Rev.  Victor  Burns,  C.  SS.  R 556 

The  Rev.  John  A.  B.  Conroy  .      .      .      .      .      .  557 

The  Rev.  John  W.  F.  Power 558 

Timothy  Sheehan,  C.  SS.  R 559 

John  P.  Burns,  C.  SS.  R 559 

Edward  Sephton,  C.  SS.  R 561 

Joseph  DeCoste,  C.  SS.  R 562 

THE  DEAR  DEPARTED  OF  THE  PARISH     .     .     .  563 


POEM  ON  THE  COMMUNITY  CHAPEL  ....  566 
POEM  ON  THE  COMPLETION  OF  THE  MISSION 

CHURCH  TOWERS 570 

POEM  ON  THE  ELECTRIC  CROSSES 571 

"THE  STARS  AND  STRIPES  FOREVER!"  572 


INTRODUCTION. 

OSTON,  once  a  hotbed  of  Puritanism,  is  now 
a  Gibraltar  of  Catholicism.  Time  was  when 
in  this  city  the  name  of  the  Blessed  Virgin 
Mary  was  held  in  dishonor  and  contempt,  but 
today  deep  devotion  is  shown  and  sublime 
honor  paid  to  Her  of  whom  was  born  the  Sun 
of  Justice,  Christ  our  God.  A  brief  review  of  the 
history  of  the  Church  in  this  diocese  will,  therefore, 
give  us  the  proper  background  and  atmosphere  for 
our  narrative  of  "  The  Glories  of  Mary  in  Boston." 
The  first  name  glittering  with  the  tokens  of  im- 
mortality in  the  annals  of  Catholic  Boston  is  the 
Rev.  Francis  Matignon,  who  came  here,  August  20, 
1792  —  an  exile  from  France.  Although  for  two 
years  previously,  the  Rev.  John  Thayer,  a  convert 
from  Congregationalism,  had  exercised  the  ministry 
in  these  parts,  the  history  of  the  Church  in  Boston 
begins,  properly  speaking,  with  the  noble  apostolate 
of  Father  Matignon.  He  was  a  gifted,  pious  and 
zealous  ecclesiastic,  with  a  meek  and  gentle  disposi- 
tion that  endeared  him  to  all  who  came  within  the 
radius  of  his  influence.  In  season  and  out  of  season 
he  labored  with  an  eye  single  to  the  salvation  of 
souls  and  a  heart  attuned  to  the  glory  of  God. 
Filled  with  a  holy  enthusiasm  for  the  cause  he  had 
espoused,  he  invited  to  Boston  his  dearest  friend, 
the  saintly  priest,  John  Lefevre  Cheverus.  With 
the  advent  of  Father  Cheverus  a  new  light  broke 
on  the  horizon,  and  a  new  glory  began  to  shine  round 
the  infant  Church. 

John  Lefevre  Cheverus  was  born  May  28,  1768, 
at  Mayenne,  a  town  between  Brittany  and  Nor- 


10         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

mandy,  in  France.  While  still  a  little  boy,  he  felt 
within  his  soul  the  impulse  to  higher  things,  and 
resolved  to  consecrate  himself  to  God  in  the  sacred 
priesthood.  He  pursued  his  classical  course  with 
honorable  distinction  at  the  College  of  Mayenne  and 
at  that  of  Louis  le  Grand  in  Paris.  Later,  he  was 
admitted  to  the  Seminary  of  St.  Magloire,  but  before 
he  had  finished  his  theology,  his  Superiors  deemed  it 
advisable  to  admit  him  to  Holy  Orders,  and,  by  spe- 
cial dispensation  obtained  by  the  Bishop  of  Mans,  he 
was  raised  to  the  exalted  dignity  of  the  priesthood  in 
Paris,  December  18,  1790,  at  the  last  public  ordina- 
tion before  the  French  Revolution. 

The  first  ministrations  of  Father  Cheverus  were 
performed  in  the  capacity  of  curate  in  his  native  city; 
but  as  he  refused  to  take  the  impious  oath  demanded 
by  the  revolutionists,  he  was  soon  forced  to  abandon 
his  church.  The  following  year,  however,  he  was 
appointed  parish  priest  and  Vicar  General.  Bright 
as  now  seemed  his  prospects,  his  happiness  was  short- 
lived, for  the  horrors  of  the  French  Revolution  again 
broke  over  his  head.  He  was  thrown  into  prison,  but 
escaped  in  disguise  to  England.  After  he  had  per- 
formed priestly  duties  and  taught  school  there  for 
three  years,  Father  Matignon  induced  him  to  come 
to  America  and  cast  his  lot  in  Boston.  Father 
Cheverus  arrived  here  October  3,  1796  —  a  day 
destined  to  become  ever  memorable  in  the  history  of 
the  diocese. 

At  that  time  there  were  only  about  100  Catholics, 
mostly  French  or  Irish,  in  Boston;  the  condition  of 
the  Church  throughout  New  England  was  rude  and 
primitive  in  the  extreme;  and  the  need  of  the  hour 
was  for  priests  of  heroic  self-denial.  But  Father 
Cheverus  was  exactly  that  type  of  man,  as  may  be 
seen  from  the  fact  that  immediately  after  his  arrival 


INTRODUCTION  11 

at  Boston,  he  wrote  to  Bishop  Carroll:  "  Send  me 
where  you  think  I  am  most  needed,  without  making 
yourself  anxious  about  the  means  of  supporting  me. 
I  am  willing  to  work  with  my  hands,  if  need  be,  and 
I  believe  I  have  strength  enough  to  do  it."  Accord- 
ingly, he  was  appointed  to  the  Indian  mission  in 
Maine.  During  the  two  years  he  labored  in  that 
field,  he  found  time  to  visit  occasionally  the  settle- 
ments in  Massachusetts  and  in  New  Hampshire  also. 
In  1798  the  Rev.  James  Romagne  was  sent  to  the 
wilderness  of  Maine,  and  Father  Cheverus  returned 
to  Boston  to  assist  Father  Matignon. 

During  the  plague  which  swept  this  city  at  that 
time,  the  magnanimous  charity  of  Fathers  Cheverus 
and  Matignon  commanded  the  respect  and  admira- 
tion of  even  the  bitterest  enemies  of  the  Church. 
When  the  scourge  had  abated  and  the  normal  ways 
of  life  had  been  resumed,  many  Protestants  flocked 
to  hear  the  sermons  of  these  devoted  priests,  and  a 
large  number  received  the  priceless  gift  of  faith. 

The  Catholic  population  of  Boston  increased  so 
rapidly  that  the  old  Church  of  the  Holy  Cross  be- 
came entirely  too  small,  and  a  movement  to  erect  a 
much  larger  edifice  was  set  on  foot.  At  a  meeting  of 
the  leading  Catholics  of  the  city  held  March  31, 
1799,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  launch  the  new 
enterprise.  Funds  were  everywhere  solicited,  and 
Protestants  vied  with  Catholics  in  contributing 
money  for  the  prospective  church.  The  members  of 
the  congregation  raised  $16,000,  to  which  John 
Adams,  president  of  the  United  States,  and  other 
prominent  non-Catholics  added  the  handsome  sum  of 
$11,000.  Work  was  begun  March  17,  1800.  Three 
years  and  a  half  later,  September  29,  1803,  the 
church  was  dedicated  under  the  title  of  the  Holy 
Cross  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  John  Carroll  of  Baltimore, 


12         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

at  that  time  the  only  Bishop  in  the  United  States. 
The  achievement  of  this  great  project  further  stimu- 
lated the  zeal  of  Fathers  Cheverus  and  Matignon, 
who  labored  so  indefatigably  in  the  cause  of  Christ 
that  in  1805,  the  number  of  Catholics  in  the  city  had 
increased  to  500. 

The  far-seeing  Bishop  Carroll,  realizing  what  a 
glorious  future  was  in  store  for  the  Church  in 
New  England,  came  to  the  conclusion  that  an 
episcopal  see  should  be  erected  at  Boston  as  soon 
as  possible.  His  choice  for  the  new  bishopric  fell  on 
Dr.  Matignon,  who  was  the  older  and  had  been  the 
longer  in  Boston,  but  this  humble  priest,  well  aware 
of  the  superior  fitness  of  Father  Cheverus  for  the 
office,  earnestly  advocated  his  appointment. 

Father  Cheverus  was  a  priest  on  whom  the  Pente- 
costal fires  had  descended  in  all  their  glowing  ardor. 
He  was  a  priest  whose  motto  was:  "  Give  me  souls; 
take  away  everything  else."  He  was  a  priest  who, 
like  St.  Paul,  knew  admirably  how  to  become  "  all 
things  to  all  men,  to  gain  all  to  Christ."  In  the  full 
sense  of  the  term,  he  was  an  ecclesiastical  superman. 
By  his  boundless  zeal,  his  exquisite  tact,  and  his  mag- 
netic charm  of  manner,  he  disarmed  to  a  great  extent 
the  bitterly  anti-Catholic  spirit  of  New  England 
Puritanism,  and  made  men  look  up  to  and  admire  the 
Church.  The  noblest  men  in  the  community  de- 
lighted in  honoring  him.  On  one  occasion,  at  a  ban- 
quet in  Boston,  he  was  invited  to  sit  alongside  of 
President  Adams.  The  famous  Dr.  Channing,  the 
leading  exponent  of  Unitarianism  in  America,  paid 
him  this  just  and  generous  tribute: 

"Who  among  our  religious  teachers  would  solicit  a  com- 
parison between  himself  and  the  devoted  Cheverus?  This 
good  man  .  .  .  lived  in  the  midst  of  us,  devoting  his  days  and 
nights  and  his  whole  heart  to  the  service  of  a  poor  and  un- 


INTRODUCTION  18 

educated  congregation.  We  saw  him  declining  in  a  great  de- 
gree the  society  of  the  cultivated  and  refined  that  he  might  be 
the  friend  of  the  ignorant  and  friendless ;  leaving  the  circles 
of  the  polished  life,  which  he  might  have  adorned,  for  the 
meanest  hovels ;  bearing  with  a  father's  sympathy  the  bur- 
dens and  sorrows  of  his  large  spiritual  family  .  .  .  and  never 
discovering  by  the  faintest  indication  that  he  felt  his  fine 
mind  degraded  by  his  seemingly  humble  office." 

Bishop  Carroll,  in  proposing  the  name  of  Father 
Chevems  to  the  Holy  See,  declared  him  to  be  a  man 
"in  the  prime  of  life,  with  health  to  undergo  any 
necessary  exertion,  universally  esteemed  for  his 
unwearied  zeal  and  his  remarkable  facility  and  elo- 
quence in  announcing  the  word  of  God,  virtuous,  and 
with  a  charm  of  manner  that  recalled  Catholics  to 
their  duties  and  disarmed  Protestants  of  their 
prejudices."  On  April  8,  1808,  the  Rev.  John 
Lefevre  Cheverus  was  named  first  Bishop  of  Bos- 
ton; but  owing  to  the  troubled  state  of  affairs  in 
Europe,  the  papal  bulls  twice  miscarried,  and 
did  not  reach  this  country  until  two  years  later. 
Finally,  on  the  Feast  of  All  Saints,  November  1, 
1810,  Bishop  Cheverus  was  consecrated  at  the  Ca- 
thedral in  Baltimore  by  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop 
Carroll;  the  co-consecrators  were  the  Rt.  Rev.  Leon- 
ard Neale,  Bishop  of  Gortyna  and  coadjutor  with  the 
right  of  succession  to  the  Bishop  of  Baltimore,  and 
the  Rt.  Rev.  Michael  Egan,  O.  S.  F.,  Bishop  of 
Philadelphia.  The  sermon  was  delivered  by  the  Rev. 
William  Vincent  Harold,  O.  P. 

After  preaching  at  the  consecration  of  the  Bishop 
of  Bardstown  and  assisting  his  metropolitan  and 
brother  bishops  in  framing  rules  for  their  guidance, 
Bishop  Cheverus  returned  to  Boston,  and  took  up  his 
residence  with  Father  Matignon  on  Franklin  Square, 
back  of  the  Cathedral.  His  episcopal  "  palace  "  was 
a  single  apartment,  which  answered  alike  the  pur- 


14         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

pose  of  reception-room  and  bedroom.  When  his  few 
plain  chairs  proved  insufficient,  his  bed  helped  to  seat 
his  company.  He  dressed  plainly;  was  content  with 
frugal  fare;  employed  no  attendant;  and  even  split 
his  own  firewood;  yet  he  was  assiduous  in  the  per- 
formance of  his  duties,  journeying  miles  by  day  to 
administer  the  consolations  of  religion  to  the  sick,  or 
to  speak  the  word  of  counsel  to  the  doubting. 

At  the  close  of  1810,  there  were  720  Catholics  in 
the  city  of  Boston.  As  there  are  no  data  on  which 
to  base  an  exact  estimate,  the  number  of  faithful  in 
the  entire  diocese  can  only  be  conjectured.  Those 
living  outside  the  city  had  to  be  content  with  an 
occasional  visit  from  the  bishop  or  from  Father 
Matignon.  Within  the  jurisdiction  of  Bishop  Chev- 
erus  there  were  only  three  churches;  the  Cathedral, 
St.  Patrick's,  Newcastle,  and  the  log-chapel  at  Pleas- 
ant Point,  Maine. 

Bishop  Cheverus  remained  in  Boston  until  the 
spring  of  1811,  when  he  set  out  on  the  first  visitation 
of  his  diocese.  Among  the  places  brightened  by  his 
genial  presence  were  Salem,  Newburyport,  New- 
castle, and  Pleasant  Point.  At  the  last  named 
station  he  confirmed  a  class  of  167. 

On  May  31st,  1817,  he  conferred  the  Sacrament  of 
Holy  Orders  on  the  first  priest  to  be  ordained  in  the 
diocese,  the  Rev.  Dennis  Ryan,  whom,  the  following 
year,  he  assigned  to  the  Indian  mission  in  Maine. 

In  the  death  of  Father  Matignon,  September  19, 
1818,  Bishop  Cheverus  suffered  an  irreparable  loss. 
The  record  of  the  interment,  written  in  his  own  hand, 
contains  this  testimony  of  his  profound  esteem  for 
his  deceased  friend,  "  He  died  as  he  lived  —  a  Saint." 

In  1819  the  Misses  Mary  and  Catherine  Ryan  of 
Limerick,  Ireland,  opened  the  first  Catholic  school 
for  girls  in  Boston.  This  undertaking  had  been 


INTRODUCTION  15 

proposed  to  them  by  the  Rev.  John  Thayer,  while  on 
a  visit  to  their  native  land  in  1815.  Having  com- 
pleted their  novitiate  with  the  iUrsuline  Nuns  at 
Three  Rivers,  Canada,  these  devout  ladies  addressed 
themselves  heart  and  soul  to  the  laudable  task,  in 
which,  shortly  afterwards,  they  were  joined  by  two 
companions,  likewise  of  Irish  birth. 

During  1819  there  were  700  Eastern  communions, 
in  the  city  of  Boston.  If  we  take  as  a  basis  of  calcu- 
lation the  record  of  112  baptisms,  44  marriages,  and 
17  deaths,  it  is  fair  to  assume  that  the  number  of 
Catholics  in  the  city  was  about  2,100.  In  the  entire 
diocese  there  were  probably  4,000  souls. 

Bishop  Cheverus  threw  himself  with  all  the  su- 
preme energy  and  superb  devotion  of  his  noble  soul 
into  his  episcopal  duties,  until,  at  last,  his  health 
began  to  fail,  and  his  physician  advised  him,  in  1823, 
to  return  to  his  native  land.  At  first  the  zealous 
Bishop  refused.  He  was  the  last  man  in  the  world 
to  desert  his  post  out  of  any  consideration  of  self, 
but  the  doctor  insisted,  strongly  representing  that  an- 
other winter  in  Boston  would  prove  fatal  to  him.-  At 
length,  the  Bishop  reluctantly  yielded,  and,  at  the 
request  of  King  Louis  XVIII,  he  was  transferred 
to  the  see  of  Montauban. 

All  the  property  which  had  come  into  his  posses- 
sion as  Bishop,  he  left  in  trust  to  his  successor.  He 
made  a  gift  of  his  private  library  to  the  diocese; 
everything  else  he  bequeathed  to  the  needy  or  to  his 
priests.  At  his  departure  from  Boston,  he  was  as 
poor  as  on  his  arrival,  using  even  the  same  trunk  in 
which  to  take  his  wearing  apparel.  The  Catholic 
laity  bade  him  an  affectionate  farewell,  and  the  news- 
papers carried  lengthy  articles,  eulogizing  his  lofty 
character  and  emphasizing  the  loss  which  Boston 
was  sustaining.  On  the  day  of  his  departure,  the 


16 

sacristy  was  thronged  with  Protestants  as  well  as 
Catholics.  Men  and  women  of  every  class  and 
condition  crowded  round  him,  and  with  faltering 
voice  wished  him  bon  voyage  and  expressed  their 
keen  regret.  They  clung  to  him  to  the  very  last. 
Three  hundred  vehicles  containing  a  thousand  or 
more  of  Boston's  most  representative  citizens  fol- 
lowed him  many  miles  on  the  road  to  New  York, 
whence  he  embarked,  October  the  first.  After  suffer- 
ing shipwreck  off  the  coast  of  France,  he  finally 
arrived  safe  at  Mayenne,  his  beloved  home. 

Bishop  Cheverus  presided  over  the  see  of  Mon- 
tauban  until  1826,  when  he  was  promoted  to  the 
Archbishopric  of  Bordeaux.  Soon  afterwards  he  was 
raised  to  the  peerage  by  Charles  X,  and  on  February 
1,  1836,  Pope  Gregory  XVI  decorated  him  with  the 
crimson  dye  of  the  Cardinalate.  While  Holy  Mass 
was  being  celebrated  in  his  room,  July  19,  1836,  his 
beautiful  soul  winged  its  flight  heavenward.  His 
remains  repose  in  a  splendid  tomb  in  the  Cathedral 
of  Bordeaux. 

Serene  peace  to  the  sacred  ashes,  eternal  rest  to 
the  saintly  soul  of  the  first  Bishop  of  Boston,  John 
Cardinal  Cheverus  —  Cheverus  the  Magnificent! 

Before  his  departure  from  Boston,  Bishop  Chev- 
erus appointed  the  Very  Rev.  William  Taylor  admin- 
istrator of  the  diocese.  This  position  the  latter  filled 
with  dignity  and  ability  for  more  than  two  years, 
until  the  new  Bishop,  the  Rev.  Benedict  Joseph 
Fenwick  took  possession  of  the  see. 

Benedict  Joseph  Fenwick  was  born  September  3, 
1782,  at  Beayerdam  Manor,  St.  Mary's  County, 
Maryland,  and  was  a  descendant  of  Cuthbert  Fen- 
wick, one  of  the  original  settlers  who  came  from 
England  under  the  protection  of  Lord  Baltimore. 
In  1793  young  Fenwick  entered  Georgetown  Col- 


INTRODUCTION  17 

lege,  where,  after  finishing  his  philosophy,  in  1802, 
he  taught  for  three  years.  In  1805  he  began  the 
study  of  theology  with  the  Sulpicians  at  St.  Mary's 
Seminary,  Baltimore,  but  interrupted  his  course  to 
enter  the  Jesuit  novitiate  at  Georgetown  College. 
Here  he  was  ordained  priest  March  12,  1808,  by  the 
Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Neale.  Soon  afterwards  Father 
Fenwick  was  sent  to  St.  Peter's  Church,  New  York, 
where  his  promotion  was  so  rapid^that  he  was  virtual 
administrator  of  the  diocese  in  1816,  when  Bishop 
Connolly  arrived  to  assume  charge.  The  Bishop, 
quickly  appreciating  Father  Fenwick's  solid  merits, 
appointed  him  Vicar  General,  but  his  Superiors  had 
other  designs  in  his  regard,  and,  in  1817,  named  him 
president  of  Georgetown  College.  In  the  autumn 
of  1818,  at  the  request  of  Archbishop  Marechal  of 
Baltimore,  Father  Fenwick  was  sent  to  Charleston, 
South  Carolina,  where,  pending  the  arrival  of  Bishop 
England,  he  was  charged  with  the  task  of  restoring 
quiet  to  that  troubled  diocese.  In  1822  he  was  re- 
called to  Georgetown.  While  laboring  at  his  old 
post,  he  was  named  Bishop  of  Boston  May  10,  1825, 
and  the  following  July  received  the  papal  bulls.  He 
was  consecrated  on  the  Feast  of  All  Saints,  at  the 
Baltimore  Cathedral  by  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop 
Marechal;  Bishop  Conwell  of  Philadelphia  and 
Bishop  England  of  Charleston  acted  as  co-conse- 
crators.  The  Rt.  Rev.  Benedict  Joseph  Fenwick 
was  installed  as  Bishop  of  Boston,  December  21, 1825. 
According  to  his  own  statement,  Bishop  Fenwick, 
on  his  accession  to  the  see,  found  that  the  faithful 
of  his  diocese,  which  embraced  all  New  England, 
lived  principally  in  Boston;  the  number  elsewhere 
being  comparatively  small,  though  rapidly  increas- 
ing. Of  the  eight  churches  in  the  diocese,  the 
cathedral  alone  was  worthy  of  the  name,  but  even  it 


18         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

was  inadequate  to  accommodate  the  congregation. 
Bishop  Fenwick,  however,  was  not  the  man  to  be 
daunted  by  obstacles  or  dismayed  by  a  disheartening 
outlook.  With  characteristic  courage  and  vigor,  he 
plunged  into  the  work  of  building  up  his  diocese  and 
of  implanting  the  faith  deeply  in  the  hearts  of  the 
flock  committed  to  his  care. 

His  first  thought  was  of  the  religious  education 
of  the  children,  many  of  whom,  for  want  of  shepherds 
to  tend  them,  had  strayed  from  the  fold.  He  estab- 
lished a  Sunday  school  at  the  cathedral  in  which  he 
himself  taught  Catechism.  He  opened  a  day-school 
also,  which  at  its  first  session  was  attended  by  100 
pupils;  he  enlarged  the  cathedral,  so  as  to  provide 
two  spacious  schoolrooms  in  the  basement.  He 
purchased  an  extensive  piece  of  property  at  Charles- 
town  for  the  Ursulines,  upon  which  they  erected  a 
new  convent,  commensurate  with  their  growing 
needs.  After  a  residence  of  six  years  and  a  half  in 
Boston,  the  nuns  on  July  17,  1826,  took  possession 
of  their  new  home  and  school.  In  grateful  remem- 
brance of  their  noble  friend  and  patron,  they  named 
their  estate  Mount  Benedict. 

Bishop  Fenwick  graciously  extended  hospitality 
to  several  young  men  who  had  signified  their  inten- 
tion of  studying  for  the  priesthood.  He  lavished  on 
them  great  care  and  attention;  his  table  was  their 
table;  his  time  was  at  their  disposal;  he  taught  them 
theology,  until  his  duties  had  become  too  numerous 
and  exacting;  then  he  sent  them  to  seminaries  abroad. 
Bishop  Fenwick  visited  the  mission  in  Portland, 
Maine,  and  encouraged  the  faithful  there  to  build  a 
church.  Under  his  leadership,  places  of  worship 
sprang  up  in  Providence  and  in  Hartford.  Within 
a  few  years  the  vigor  of  his  administration  had 
made  itself  felt  in  every  corner  of  the  diocese. 


His  HOLINESS  POPE  BENEDICT  XIV 


His  EMINENCE,  WILLIAM  CARDINAL  O'CONNELL 


INTRODUCTION  19 

New  life  was  infused  into  old  missions,  and  new 
missions  began  to  dot  the  land.  In  1828  there 
were  7,040  Catholics  in  Boston,  and  about  14,000  in 
al]  New  England.  The  number  of  churches  had 
doubled,  and  educational  institutions  flourished 
widely  in  Massachusetts. 

Such  marked  progress  naturally  excited  the  envy 
and  hatred  of  the  enemies  of  the  Church,  and,  in 
1829,  the  houses  of  Catholics  in  Boston  were  attacked 
by  a  bigoted  mob.  The  bitter  anti-Catholic  feeling 
culminated  in  the  burning  of  the  Ursuline  convent  at 
Charlestown,  August  11,  1834.  But  even  this  das- 
tardly crime  served,  in  the  end,  only  to  accelerate 
the  onward  march  of  Catholicism.  In  1836  there 
were  8,153  Easter  Communions  in  the  diocese,  1,792 
baptisms,  and  30  churches  with  35  priests. 

In  1843,  Bishop  Fenwick,  then  61  years  of  age, 
began  to  feel  the  weight  of  responsibility,  and  the 
need  of  help  in  his  onerous  duties.  He,  therefore, 
petitioned  the  Holy  See  to  erect  Rhode  Island  and 
Connecticut  into  a  separate  diocese,  and  to  grant  him 
a  coadjutor.  As  Bishop  of  the  proposed  diocese  he 
recommended  the  Rev.  John  Tyler;  as  his  own  co- 
adjutor, the  Rev.  John  B.  Fitzpatrick.  His  requests 
were  favorably  received,  and  on  March  24,  1844,  in 
the  chapel  of  the  Visitation  at  Georgetown,  Father 
Fitzpatrick  was  consecrated  Bishop  of  Caliopolis 
and  Coadjutor  with  the  right  of  succession  to  the 
See  of  Boston. 

The  Rt.  Rev.  Benedict  Joseph  Fenwick  died  Aug- 
ust 11,  1846,  and  was  buried  at  Holy  Cross  College, 
Worcester,  which  he  had  founded  in  1843. 

The  Rt.  Rev.  John  B.  Fitzpatrick  was  born 
November  1,  1812,  and  ordained  June  13,  1840. 
When  he  assumed  the  reins  of  government,  in  1846, 
the  number  of  Catholics  in  the  city  was  32,000,  or 


20         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

one-fourth  of  the  total  population.  The  natural 
increase  in  the  ranks  of  the  faithful  had  been  aug- 
mented by  a  large  body  of  converts  and  by  the  20,000 
Irish  immigrants  who  had  settled  in  Boston  since 
1835.  Catholicism  advanced  with  such  giant  strides 
that,  within  seven  years  after  the  induction  of  Bishop 
Fitzpatrick,  it  became  necessary  to  detach  the  States 
of  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  and  Vermont  from  the 
diocese  of  Boston,  thus  leaving  only  Massachusetts. 
In  1853  Pope  Pius  IX,  acceding  to  the  petition  of 
the  First  Plenary  Council  of  Baltimore,  constituted 
Vermont  the  diocese  of  Burlington,  and  Maine  and 
New  Hampshire  the  diocese  of  Portland.  Boston 
then  had  48  churches  completed,  15  in  course  of 
erection,  a  first-class  academy,  and  110  priests. 

Bishop  Fitzpatrick's  administration  was  marked, 
on  the  one  hand,  by  constant  acts  of  hostility  on  the 
part  of  the  bigots,  and,  on  the  other,  by  the  steady 
expansion  of  the  Church  in  all  directions.  A  project 
that  dominated  his  thoughts  was  the  erection  of  a 
new  cathedral.  He  had  taken  some  preliminary 
steps  along  that  line,  but  did  not  live  to  see  the  work 
of  construction  actually  begun.  On  February  13, 
1866,  with  the  noble  words,  "  I  will  follow  the  Cross 
to  the  end,"  on  his  lips,  he  went  to  his  eternal  reward. 

About  a  month  before  the  death  of  Bishop  Fitz- 
patrick, the  Rev.  John  J.  Williams  had  been  named 
Bishop  of  Tripoli  and  Coadjutor  with  the  right  of 
succession  to  the  See  of  Boston.  John  J.  Williams 
was  born  in  this  city,  April  27,  1822,  and  ordained  in 
May,  1845,  at  the  Seminary  of  St.  Sulpice  in  Paris 
by  Mgr.  Afire,  Archbishop  of  that  city.  His  first 
station  was  the  Cathedral  in  Boston,  where  he  served 
as  an  assistant  for  ten,  and  as  rector  for  two  years. 
In  1857  he  was  appointed  pastor  of  St.  James's 
Church,  and  in  1859,  Vicar  General.  He  was  conse- 


INTRODUCTION  21 

crated  by  Archbishop   McCloskey  of  New  York, 
March  11,  1866. 

At  that  time  there  were  in  the  diocese  109  churches, 
119  priests,  2  colleges,  2  orphan  asylums,  2  hospitals, 
3  academies,  with  207  pupils,  and  11  parochial  schools, 
with  5,400  pupils.  The  corner-stone  of  the  new 
cathedral  was  laid  September  15, 1867.  Within  four 
years,  Bishop  Williams  was  obliged,  on  account  of 
the  tremendous  growth  of  his  diocese,  to  request  its 
division,  and,  in  1870,  an  episcopal  see  was  created 
at  Springfield.  Two  years  later,  the  southern  por- 
tion of  the  diocese  of  Boston  was  cut  off,  and  added 
to  Rhode  Island  to  form  the  See  of  Providence.  In 
1875  Boston  was  raised  to  the  dignity  of  an  arch- 
bishopric, with  the  other  New  -England  dioceses  as 
suffragans. 

For  more  than  forty  years,  Archbishop  Williams, 
the  very  personification  of  episcopal  dignity,  a  shin- 
ing example  of  administrative  ability,  and  a  saint  in 
every  fibre  of  his  heart,  guided  the  destinies  of  the 
Church  in  Boston.  On  August  30,  1907,  the  vener- 
able old  warrior,  at  the  age  of  85,  laid  down  his  arms 
in  dreamless  sleep.  At  the  time  of  his  demise,  the 
diocese  numbered  about  600  priests,  with  a  Catholic 
population  of  850,000. 

The  gage  of  battle  was  then  taken  up  by  the  Most 
Rev.  William  H.  O'Connell,  who,  on  February  8, 
1906,  had  been  designated  Archbishop  of  Constantia 
and  Coadjutor  with  the  right  of  succession  to  the 
Archbishop  of  Boston.  The  reader  knows  the  rest.- 
To  recount  the  new-born  triumphs  of  the  Archdio- 
cese of  Boston  would  be  like  gilding  gold  or  painting 
the  lily.  The  reader  knows  the  brilliant  achieve- 
ments of  our  Most  Illustrious  Prince  of  the  Church, 
our  Most  Eminent  and  Most  Beloved  Spiritual 
Father  and  Leader,  William  Cardinal  O'Connell. 


Part  First 
General  History 


THE  HISTORIC  SITE. 

HE  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help 
in  Boston  was  established  and  is  administered 
by  the  Redemptorist  Fathers.  It  is  popu- 
larly known  as  the  "  Mission  Church,"  and  is 
situated  in  the  Roxbury  district  of  the  city. 
Roxbury  was  formerly  a  separate  municipality, 
but  was  annexed  to  Boston  in  1868.  It  was  settled 
in  1630  by  a  party  of  English  colonists  under  the  lead 
of  William  Pynchon.  Most  of  them  came  from 
London  and  the  vicinity,  a  few,  from  the  west  of 
England.  They  were  people  of  moderate  means, 
and,  according  to  their  lights  and  standards,  of  stern 
and  upright  morals.  It  is  the  testimony  of  an  eye- 
witness that,  "  One  might  dwell  among  them  from 
year  to  year  and  not  see  a  drunkard,  hear  an  oath, 
or  meet  a  beggar."  The  names  of  some  of  them  are 
still  borne  in  Roxbury  by  their  descendants,  such  as 
Curtis,  Crafts,  Dudley,  Griggs,  Heath,  Payson, 
Seaver,  Weld,  and  Williams. 

Roxbury  is  so  called  because  of  its  rocky  and  un- 
even surface,  of  which  the  conglomerate  or  pudding- 
stone  is  one  of  the  principal  constituents.  "The 
material  composing  this  rock  was  laid  down  by 
glaciers  or  other  agent  as  stones  and  sediment  which 
have  consolidated  into  rock." 

Of  Roxbury's  fame  and  glory,  the  well-known 
historian,  Francis  Drake,  says : 


26         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

"Roxbury  is  a  mother  of  towns,  as  many  as  fifteen  pros- 
perous New  England  communities,  including  the  flourishing 
cities  of  Springfield  and  Worcester,  having  been  founded  or 
settled  by  her  citizens.  She  can  fairly  claim  to  have  been 
the  banner-town  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  furnishing  to  it 
three  companies  of  minute  men  at  Lexington,  one  of  which 
was  the  first  that  was  raised  for  the  defence  of  American 
liberty,  and  having  also  given  birth  to  three  generals  of  the 
Revolutionary  army.  She  played  a  prominent  part  in  the 
siege  of  Boston  and  was  greatly  injured  both  by  friend  and 
foe.  No  less  than  ten  governors  of  Massachusetts  have  been 
natives  or  residents  of  Roxbury." 

Roxbury  abounds  in  places  of  interest  and  glory, 
but  of  all  these  interesting  and  glorious  spots,  none 
is  more  so  than  the  hallowed  site  on  which  today  stand 
the  church  and  the  home  of  the  Redemptorist  Fathers. 

According  to  official  records  on  file  in  the  office  of 
the  Register  of  Deeds  at  Dedham,  Mass.,  the  original 
grantee  of  the  property  was  George  Alcock,  who 
came  from  England  in  1630  with  the  first  band  of 
Puritan  settlers.  When  the  officials  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Bay  Company,  armed  with  a  patent  from 
King  Charles  the  First  of  England,  apportioned  the 
territory  of  Roxbury,  Mr.  Alcock  received,  in  1637, 
a  grant  of  242  acres,  which  included  the  land  on  which 
the  Mission  Church  and  the  rectory  are  located.  On 
the  death  of  this  gentleman,  in  October,  1640,  the  es- 
tate passed  into  the  hands  of  his  son,  John,  a  physician, 
who  was  graduated  from  Harvard  in  1646,  and  died 
March  29, 1667.  His  administrator,  Benjamin  Frisco, 
transferred  the  property  in  1670  to  Palsgrave 
Alcock,  son  of  John.  When  Palsgrave  died,  in  1710, 
Joshua  Lamb  became  the  owner.  In  April,  1723, 
the  latter  conveyed  that  portion  of  the  land  with 
which  we  are  concerned  to  Colonel  Francis  Brinley, 
who  shortly  afterwards  erected  there  "one  of  the 
grandest  houses  in  Roxbury."  This  palatial  resi- 


THE  HISTORIC  SITE  27 

dence,  called  "  Datchet  House  "  after  the  family-seat 
of  the  Brinleys  at  Datchet,  England,  stood  a  little  to 
the  west  of  the  sacred  spot  on  which  today  the  majes- 
tic twin  towers  of  the  Mission  Church  rise  gracefully 
heavenward,  wedding  the  quarry  to  the  sky,  and  pro- 
claiming "The  Glories  of  Mary  in  Boston."  This 
stately  old  mansion,  rich  in  historic  associations  that 
reach  back  to  the  dim,  distant,  colonial  past,  and 
famous  even  a  whole  generation  before  Bunker  Hill 
became  immortal  in  American  history,  was  for  thirty- 
two  years  the  home  of  the  Redemptorist  Fathers,  a 
hallowed  place  to  which  fond  memories  will  ever  cling. 

Colonel  Brinley,  who  commanded  the  Roxbury 
regiment  and  was  Deputy  Survey  or- General  of  the 
Province,  was  naturally  a  man  of  high  standing  and 
great  influence  in  the  community.  During  the  years 
he  occupied  the  sumptuous  house,  it  was  the  "  scene 
of  many  brilliant  receptions  and  festivities  at  which 
were  present  all  the  English  officers  and  the  dis- 
tinguished residents  of  Boston,  Roxbury,  and  Dor- 
chester." He  moved  in  the  most  exclusive  social 
circles,  and  was  famous  throughout  New  England  as 
a  princely  entertainer.  He  was  accustomed  to  hold 
annually,  in  springtime,  a  gay  lawn-festival  and 
masquerade  ball,  which  came  to  be  known  as  one  of 
the  most  elaborate  functions  of  the  day.  "  His  house 
parties  frequently  brought  together  all  the  social 
lions  of  New  York  and  even  of  Virginia.  The  Eng- 
lish nobility  who  visited  America  always  spent  some 
time  at  the  mansion,  and  thus  its  reputation  grad- 
ually extended  across  the  ocean  to  the  mother 
country." 

Colonel  Brinley  died  November  27,  1765,  at  the 
age  of  75,  and  was  buried  in  King's  Chapel  Cemetery, 
of  which  he  was  one  of  the  founders. 

The  next  occupant  of  the  Brinley  house  was  the 


28         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Rev.  William  Gordon,  minister  of  the  third  church 
in  Roxbury  and  chaplain  of  the  Provincial  Congress 
of  Massachusetts,  who  resided  there  until  the  parson- 
age at  Jamaica  Plain  had  been  fitted  up  for  his  use. 
This  gentleman  was  the  author  of  a  work  entitled, 
"  History  of  the  Rise,  Progress,  and  Establishment 
of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States  of 
America."  He  died  in  England  in  1807. 

In  1773  the  heirs  of  Colonel  Brinley  sold  the 
mansion  to  Mr.  Robert  Pierpont,  merchant,  member 
of  the  Boston  Committee  of  Correspondence  and 
Commissary  of  Prisoners  during  the  War  of  the 
Revolution. 

Mr.  Pierpont's  niece,  Mrs.  Gustavus  Fellows, 
who,  it  appears,  owned  the  place  conjointly  with  her 
uncle,  set  her  hand  to  the  task  of  embellishing  it. 
Always  gorgeous,  it  became  under  its  new  owners  a 
palace  of  surpassing  splendor  and  was  known  to  all 
the  country  round  as  "  Pierpont  Castle."  Mrs. 
Emily  Pierpont  de  Lesdernier,  a  descendant  of 
Robert  Pierpont,  in  her  little  volume  entitled 
"  Fannie  St.  John  "  thus  describes  it: 

"It  was  situated  in  the  midst  of  a  large  domain  of  park 
and  wooded  hills,  and  presented  a  picture  of  grandeur  and 
stateliness  not  common  in  the  New  World.  There  were 
colonnades,  and  a  vestibule  whose  mahogany  doors,  studded 
with  silver,  opened  into  a  wide  hall,  whose  tessellated  floors 
sparkled  under  the  light  of  a  dome  of  richly  painted  glass. 
Underneath  the  dome  two  cherubs  carved  in  wood  extended 
their  wings,  and  so  formed  the  center  from  which  an  im- 
mense chandelier  of  glass  depended.  Upon  the  floor  beneath 
the  dome  there  stood  a  marble  column,  and  around  it  ran  a 
divan  formed  of  cushions,  covered  with  satin  of  Damascus, 
of  gorgeous  coloring.  Large  mirrors  with  ebony  frames 
filled  the  spaces  between  the  grand  staircase  at  either  side  of 
the  hall  of  entrance.  All  the  panelling  and  wood  work  con- 
sisted of  elaborate  carving  done  abroad,  and  made  to  fit 
every  part  of  the  mansion  where  such  ornamentation  was 


THE  HISTORIC  SITE  29 

required.  Exquisite  combinations  of  painted  birds  and  fruits 
and  flowers  abounded  everywhere,  in  rich  contrast  with  the 
delicate  blue  tints  that  prevailed  upon  the  lofty  walls.  The 
staterooms  were  covered  with  Persian  carpets,  and  hung  with 
tapestries  of  gold  and  silver  arranged  after  some  graceful 
artistic  foreign  fashion." 

Some  of  our  readers,  we  presume,  will  consider  the 
foregoing  description  overdone,  but  the  lady  who 
wrote  it,  stoutly  maintains  its  truth  and  adds  that 
"  traditions  of  the  princely  grandeur  of  the  ancient 
home  have  often  been  recalled  at  family  reunions." 
Moreover,  several  old  residents  of  Roxbury  who  were 
in  a  position  to  know,  have  assured  the  writer  that 
even  in  their  childhood  days  the  house  was  famous 
for  its  magnificent  mirrors.  This  much,  however,  is 
certain:  there  was  in  Pierpont  Castle  a  very  famous 
apartment  hung  with  blue  damask  and  known  as  the 
"  Blue  Chamber." 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution,  Mr.  Robert 
Pierpont  was  chosen  lieutenant  of  a  Roxbury  com- 
pany. In  June,  1775,  a  division  of  the  American 
army  was  stationed  at  Roxbury  under  the  command 
of  General  Thomas.  This  division  consisted  of  the 
regiments  of  Thomas,  Learned,  Fellows,  Cotton, 
Walker,  Read,  Danielson,  Brewer  and  Robinson  of 
Massachusetts,  and  Spencer,  Parsons,  and  Hunting- 
ton  of  Connecticut.  The  forces  of  the  last  three  were 
encamped  on  Parker  Hill,  on  the  slope  of  which  the 
Mission  Church  is  situated.  On  July  3,  George 
Washington  took  command  of  the  American  army, 
and  shortly  afterwards,  according  to  an  immemorial 
tradition,  attended  a  ball  given  in  the  dance-hall  of 
Mr.  Pierpont's  house,  to  celebrate  the  victory  of 
Bunker  Hill.  This  hall,  forty- four  feet  in  length  and 
seventy-two  in  depth,  occupied  the  entire  space  be- 
tween the  two  wings. 


30         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

After  the  arrival  of  Washington,  General  Artemus 
Ward  succeeded  General  Thomas  in  command  of  the 
right  wing  of  the  army  stationed  at  Roxbury.  Dur- 
ing the  siege  of  Boston,  Ward  established  his  head- 
quarters in  Brinley  Place  or  Pierpont  Castle.  '  The 
Memorial  History  of  Boston," — a  monumental  work 
in  four  volumes, — says  (vol.  II,  p.  340),  "Ward's 
headquarters  were  in  the  Brinley  House  ..."  and 
(vol.  Ill,  p.  116):  "General  Ward,  while  com- 
manding the  right  wing  after  Washington  had  re- 
organized the  army,  had  his  headquarters  in  the 
Datchet  or  Brinley  House,  which  stood  near  the 
present  church  of  the  Redemptorists.  .  .  ."  Drake 
also  adds  his  testimony  in  these  words:  "  During  the 
siege  of  Boston  the  mansion  (Brinley  Place)  was  the 
headquarters  of  General  Ward  who  commanded  the 
right  wing  of  the  army.  ..." 

In  the  reception-room  to  the  right  of  the  dance 
hall,  "  were  held  the  councils  of  officers,  at  which 
Washington  presided,  and  where  the  details  of  the 
occupation  of  Dorchester  Heights  were  arranged" 
("Town  of  Roxbury,"  pp.  328-329). 

But  a  greater  glory  still,  is  the  fact  that  the  old 
Redemptorist  rectory  was  one  of  the  first  places 
where  the  idea  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
was  advanced.  On  this  point  Mr.  Drake  writes: 
"  Under  date  of  October  10,  1775,  Rev.  Dr.  Belknap 
records  in  his  diary,  that  he  '  lodged  at  Mr.  Robert 
Pierpont's,  where  Gen.  Ward  resides.  In  conversa- 
tion with  Mr.  Joshua  Ward,  his  aide-de-camp,  I 
found,'  says  Belknap, '  that  the  plan  of  independence 
was  become  a  favorite  point  with  the  army,  and  that 
it  was  offensive  to  pray  for  the  king.  Ward  appears 
to  be  a  calm,  cool,  thoughtful  man.'  This  is  one  of 
the  earliest  indications  of  a  public  sentiment  favor- 
able to  throwing  off  allegiance  to  the  British  crown, 


THE  HISTORIC  SITE  81 

and  shows  that  the  people  were  upon  this  important 
question  far  in  advance  of  their  leaders." 

On  the  17th  of  November,  Washington  wrote  to 
Ward  as  follows: 

"Sir, — As  the  season  is  fast  approaching  when  the  bay 
between  us  and  Boston  will  in  all  probability  be  close  shut  up, 
thereby  rendering  any  movement  upon  the  ice  as  easy  as  if 
no  water  was  there,  and  as  it  is  more  than  probable  that 
Gen.  Howe  when  he  gets  the  expected  reinforcement  will 
endeavor  to  relieve  himself  from  the  disgraceful  confinement 
in  which  the  ministerial  troops  have  been  all  this  summer, 
common  prudence  dictates  the  necessity  of  guarding  our 
camps  wherever  they  are  most  assailable.  For  this  purpose  I 
wish  you,  Gen.  Thomas,  Gen.  Spencer,  and  Col.  Putnam  to 
meet  me  at  your  quarters  tomorrow  at  ten  o'clock,  that  we 
may  examine  the  ground  between  your  work  at  the  mill  and 
Sewall's  Point,  and  direct  such  batteries  as  shall  appear 
necessary  for  the  security  of  your  camp  on  this  side,  to  be 
thrown  up  without  loss  of  time." 

"At  a  council  of  war  held  at  Gen.  Ward's  head- 
quarters, on  March  13,  1776,  it  was  determined  that 
if  Boston  were  not  evacuated  the  next  day,  Nook's 
Hill  in  South  Boston  should  be  fortified  the  next 
night.  This  was  accordingly  done  on  the  following 
Saturday  night,  and  on  Sunday  Howe  hastily  evacu- 
ated the  town." 

"  During  the  stirring  days  of  the  Revolution, 
many  other  plans  against  the  Crown  were  laid  under 
the  roof  of  the  old  1  »use,  and  for  a  year  or  so  it  was 
practically  the  capilol  of  the  unformed  American 
Republic."  According  to  an  old  tradition  which 
bears  the  hall  mark  of  truth,  it  was  in  the  billiard- 
room  of  the  Brinley  mansion  that  the  movement  on 
the  part  of  the  Roxbury  colonists  to  resist  and 
repudiate  the  Stamp  Act  was  set  on  foot  in  the  days 
of  Gov.  Hutchinson. 

After  the  Revolution,  Brinley  Place  remained  in 
possession  of  the  Pierpont  family  until  October, 


32         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTOtf 

1802,  when  it  became  the  property  of  the  noted 
abolitionist,  Harrison  Gray  Otis,  son  of  James  Otis, 
one  of  the  leading  spirits  in  the  cause  of  American 
independence.  A  few  months  later,  Harrison  Gray 
Otis  sold  it  to  a  group  of  Roxbury  residents  unknown 
to  fame,  and  for  several  years  it  passed  through  a 
zone  of  shadow.  There  is  no  mention  of  it  either  in 
Drake's  "  Town  of  Roxbury/'  or  in  "  The  Memorial 
History  of  Boston,"  until,  in  1809,  it  was  purchased 
by  General  Dearborn,  one  of  the  most  famous  men 
of  his  time,  who  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  four  Presi- 
dents; Washington,  Jefferson,  Madison,  and  Mon- 
roe. A  new  era  of  glory  then  dawned  for  Brinley 
Place,  which  was  thenceforth  named  the  Dearborn 
Mansion. 

Henry  Alexander  Dearborn  was  born  in  March, 
1751,  at  Hampton,  New  Hampshire.  He  was  a 
practising  physician  at  Portsmouth,  when,  on  April 
20,  1775,  hearing  of  the  battle  of  Lexington,  he 
immediately  set  out  with  sixty  volunteers  for  Cam- 
bridge, Massachusetts  (a  distance  of  sixty-five 
miles),  arriving  there  early  the  next  morning.  On 
his  return,  about  four  weeks  later,  he  was  made  cap- 
tain in  Stark's  regiment.  At  the  battle  of  Bunker 
Hill,  he  won  high  praise  from  his  superior  officers  for 
gallant  fighting.  He  held  the  famous  rail  fence  by 
so  camouflaging  it  with  hay  that  it  appeared  to  be  a 
redoubtable  breastwork  when  in  reality  it  afforded 
the  soldiers  but  little  protection.  He  accompanied 
Arnold  on  his  expedition*through  the  woods  of  Maine 
to  Quebec,  and  in  the  attack  on  that  city,  December 
31,  was  taken  prisoner.  He  was  afterwards  released 
on  parole,  and  in  March,  1777,  was  exchanged.  At 
the  capture  of  Burgoyne,  Dearborn  served  as  major 
under  Gates,  and  in  1778,  so  distinguished  himself 


THE  HISTORIC  SITE  33 

and  his  regiment  by  a  brilliant  charge  at  the  battle 
of  Monmouth  that  Washington  in  his  dispatches 
gave  him  honorable  mention.  In  1779  he  took  part 
in  Sullivan's  expedition  against  the  Indians;  in  1780 
he  was  with  the  army  of  New  Jersey;  in  1781,  at 
Yorktown;  and  in  1782,  on  garrison  duty  at  Sara- 
toga. 

After  the  war,  General  Dearborn  settled  in  Maine. 
In  1789  he  was  appointed  marshal  of  that  district 
by  President  Washington.  He  was  twice  elected  to 
Congress,  and  from  1801  to  1809  was  Secretary  of 
War  under  Thomas  Jefferson.  While  he  was  hold- 
ing that  portfolio,  Fort  Dearborn,  now  covered  by 
the  city  of  Chicago,  was  named  after  him.  In  1809 
President  Madison  made  him  Collector  of  the  Port 
of  Boston,  and  on  January  27,  1812,  he  was  commis- 
sioned senior  major  general  in  the  United  States 
Army  and  Commander  of  the  Northern  Department. 
In  the  spring  of  1813,  he  captured  York  in  upper 
Canada  and  Fort  George  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Niagara;  but  was  recalled  and  soon  afterwards 
placed  in  command  of  the  military  district  of  New 
York  City.  In  1815  he  resigned  his  commission,  and 
in  1822  was  designated  Minister  to  Portugal  by 
President  Monroe.  After  serving  two  years,  he  was 
recalled  at  his  own  request. 

In  the  summer  of  1821,  General  Dearborn,  then 
residing  within  the  venerable  walls  of  Brinley  Place, 
was  favored  with  a  visit  from  the  cadets  at  West 
Point,  who  marched  the  entire  distance  from  there 
to  Roxbury.  They  numbered  about  250  and  were 
in  command  of  Colonel  William  Worth,  who  was 
afterwards  promoted  to  the  rank  of  general  and  dis- 
tinguished himself  in  Mexico.  The  cadets  encamped 
on  the  hill  opposite  the  house,  and  were  the  guests  of 


34         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

the  General  at  an  elaborate  dinner  served  in  the 
spacious  garden,  back  of  the  mansion. 

Dearborn  was  just  the  type  of  man  whom  soldier 
boys  would  idolize,  the  very  personification  of  dash- 
ing and  flashing  bravery,  a  well-built,  upstanding 
man,  fully  six  feet  in  height  and  over  two  hundred 
pounds  in  weight,  a  champion  wrestler  and  an  all- 
round  athlete.  He  died  June  6,  1829,  and  was  buried 
just  in  front  of  the  main  entrance  of  the  present 
Mission  Church.  Some  of  the  very  old  parishioners 
remember  his  grave  well.  It  was  located  on  a  little 
knoll,  and  round  the  plot  was  an  iron  railing.  Some 
years  after  General  Dearborn's  death,  his  remains 
were  removed  to  Forest  Hills  Cemetery. 

After  the  death  of  the  elder  Dearborn,  his  son, 
Gen.  Henry  Alexander  Scammel,  occupied  the 
paternal  home  until  1831,  when  he  moved  to  the 
Hawthorne  Cottage,  on  Bartlett  St. 

The  younger  Dearborn  was  born  in  1783  at  Exeter, 
N.  H.  When  a  very  young  man  he  practised  law 
for  a  few  years  at  Salem.  In  1812  he  was  appointed 
brigadier  general  of  militia  commanding  Boston 
Harbor.  For  nearly  forty  years  he  held  public 
office,  serving  as  Collector  of  the  Port  of  Boston, 
1812-1829;  member  of  Congress,  1831-1835;  adju- 
tant general  of  Massachusetts,  1835-1843;  and 
Mayor  of  Roxbury,  1847-1851. 

During  his  occupancy  of  the  Brinley  mansion,  he 
added  much  to  the  beauty  of  its  gardens,  in  which  he 
raised  some  of  the  most  majestic  trees  that  today 
adorn  the  superb  cemeteries  of  Forest  Hills  and  Mt. 
Auburn,  which  he  was  instrumental  in  founding.  A 
man  of  pronounced  literary  tastes,  he  was  the  author, 
among  other  works,  of  "Commerce  and  Navigation  of 
the  Black  Sea  "  and  "  Internal  Improvement  and 
Commerce  of  the  West."  Like  his  father,  he  was 


THE  MOST  REV.  JOHN  BONZANO,  D.  D. 
Apostolic  Delegate 


MOST  REV.  PATRICK  MURRAY,  C.  SS.  R. 
Superior  General 


THE  HISTORIC  SITE  85 

tall  and  commanding  in  person.  He  had  flowing 
curly  hair,  and  was  remarkable  for  his  manly  beauty 
and  kingly  bearing.  When  Collector  of  the  Port,  he 
was  accustomed  to  drive  to  his  office  in  a  stately  car- 
riage drawn  by  a  double  span  of  horses  with  postil- 
lions, his  elegant  turnout  exciting  the  envy  of  all  who 
saw  it.  In  his  day  also,  the  old  house  was  the  con- 
stant scene  of  courtly  manners  and  aristocratic  dis- 
play. His  doors  were  open;  his  hospitality  was 
unlimited;  and  his  associations  brought  numbers  of 
the  most  prominent  and  highly  respected  men  in  the 
country  to  his  hearth.  Among  his  guests  and  visitors 
was  the  gallant  Bainbridge,  who,  while  commandant 
of  the  Navy  Yard,  frequently  came  in  his  barge 
manned  by  the  blue  jackets,  and  landed  at  the  creek 
which  flowed  up  into  the  rear  of  the  estate.  Henry 
Alexander  Scammel  Dearborn  was  remarkable  for 
his  industry,  and  as  a  public  officer  established  a  high 
reputation  for  patriotism,  integrity  and  fidelity. 
Unfortunately,  he  was  a  victim  of  the  "  reform  "  of 
the  civil  service  under  Andrew  Jackson's  adminis- 
tration, and  in  1834  was  obliged  to  forsake  the 
famous  mansion  for  humbler  quarters. 

On  August  11,  1834,  a  mob  of  rabid  bigots 
set  fire  to  the  Ursuline  Convent  at  Charlestown. 
Two  months  later,  the  saintly  nuns  in  their  sad 
plight  were  kindly  invited  to  Brinley  Place  by  the 
owners,  Messrs.  Stephen  Fuller  and  David  A.  Sim- 
mons. Drake  says  (p.  332)  :  "The  Ursuline  Sisters 
after  their  cruel  expulsion  from  Mt.  Benedict  on  the 
night  of  August  11,  1834,  when  the  torch  was 
applied  to  the  residence  of  a  few  women  and  children 
by  a  cowardly  mob  impelled  by  fanaticism — these 
devoted  women  occupied  Brinley  House  for  about 
a  year." 

The  nuns  came  here  in  disguise,  and  thus  for  a 


36         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

while  escaped  trouble;  but  when  the  news  spread  that 
they  had  taken  refuge  here,  an  ill-bred  gang  of 
rowdies,  the  "  Black  and  Tans  "  of  those  days,  threat- 
ened to  surround  the  house  and  set  fire  to  it.  How- 
ever, the  decent  public  sentiment  of  Roxbury  was  all 
in  favor  of  the  Sisters,  and  the  Selectmen  took 
prompt  and  drastic  action  to  ward  off  the  impending 
disgrace  to  the  town.  For  the  purpose  of  coping  with 
the  situation,  they  held  a  meeting  on  Christmas  eve. 
We  subjoin  a  certified  copy  of  the  minutes  of  said 
meeting: 

(Taken  from  the  Selectmen's  Records  of  the  Town  of 
Roxbury,  Second  Volume,  dated  December  24,  1834,  and 
recorded  on  page  160.) 

December  24th,  1834.  The  Selectmen  and  Clerk  met  in  the 
forenoon.  They  offered  the  following  reward  in  behalf  of 
the  Town: — of  $500 — and  requested  Mr.  William  Dove  to 
have  the  same  published  in  the  papers  printed  in  Boston, 
viz: 

$500  REWARD. 

Whereas,  the  Selectmen  of  the  Town  of  Roxbury  have  been 
informed  that  the  house  occupied  by  the  Lady  Superior,  late 
of  the  Ursuline  Convent  in  Charlestown,  will  share  the  same 
fate  with  that  of  the  institution ;  and 

Whereas,  the  inmates  of  said  establishment  are  very  much 
alarmed,  the  Selectmen  hereby  offer  the  above  reward  of 
five  hundred  dollars  to  any  person  or  persons  who  shall  give 
such  intelligence  as  shall  be  sufficient  to  bring  the  offender  or 
offenders  to  that  punishment  which  such  flagrant  crimes  may 
merit  from  legal  adjudication;  provided  that  there  shall  be 
any  assault  made  thereon. 

By  order  of  the  Selectmen, 
NATHANIEL  S.  PEENTISS,  Town  Cleric. 
Dec.  24,  1834. 

They  also  established  a  nightly  watch. 
Dec.  25,  1834. 

The  Selectmen  and  Clerk  met  in  the  forenoon  on  special  town 
business.  (To  legalize  watch,  etc.) 

Selectmen: — John  Champney,  Chairman,  E.  Seaver,  Wm. 
Dove,  Capt.  Curtis,  Mr.  Whittemore. 


*THE  HISTORIC  SITE  87 

A  company  of  soldiers  under  command  of 
Captain  Spooner  guarded  Brinley  Place,  and  Gen. 
Bradley,  gun  in  hand,  patrolled  the  grounds,  in  order 
to  protect  the  nuns.  By  such  uncompromising  meas- 
ures the  would-be  incendiaries  were  completely  over- 
awed, and  all  talk  of  molesting  the  Sisters  vanished 
into  thin  air. 

The  firm  and  noble  stand  of  the  Selectmen  and 
their  respectable  constituents  was  loudly  applauded. 
The  Boston  Sentinel  said: 

"We  understand  that  in  consequence  of  the  threats  thrown 
out,  that  the  rioters  intended  attacking  and  demoralizing  the 
house  now  occupied  by  the  superior  and  nuns  of  the  Ursuline 
Community,  in  Roxbury,  the  inhabitants  assembled  at  the 
Town  Hall  on  Tuesday  last,  which  was  filled  to  overflowing. 

"After  adopting  some  spirited  resolutions,  they  chose  a 
committee  of  vigilance  and  protection,  consisting  of  twelve 
gentlemen,  who,  we  are  glad  to  learn,  have  taken  such  ener- 
getic measures,  that  should  any  person  or  persons  attempt 
an  outrage  upon  the  building,  now  occupied  by  the  Ursuline 
Community,  they  will  meet  with  such  a  reception  as  they  de- 
serve. This  is  as  it  should  be,  and  we  congratulate  our 
brethren  of  Roxbury  upon  their  promptness  and  decision  on 
this  occasion,  which  show  that  their  hearts  are  in  the  right 
place,  and  that  their  hands  are  ready  to  act  when  their 
rights  as  citizens  are  threatened."  ( Bishop  England's  Works, 
vol.  V,  General  Appendix,  Documents  Relating  to  the 
Charlestown  Convent,  p.  264.) 

According  to  a  letter  of  the  Mother  Superior, 
written  from  Brinley  Place  under  date  of  November 
5,  1 834 v six  of  the  nuns  were  taken  seriously  ill  as  the 
result  of  their  terrible  experience  on  the  night  the 
convent  was  burned.  A  week  after  the  arrival  of  the 
stricken  community  at  the  old  mansion,  one  of  their 
number,  who  had  been  sick  unto  death  for  a  long 
time,  the  saintly  Sister  St.  Henry,  a  niece  of  the 
Superior,  received  the  final  summons.  Of  her  last 
illness  and  death,  Dr.  Abraham  R.  Thompson,  the 


38         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

steadfast  friend  and  vindicator  of  the  outraged  nuns, 
wrote  as  follows  in  the  Bunker  Hill  Aurora  for 
October  25,  1834: 

"Died  on  the  18th  instant,  at  the  residence  of  the  Ursuline 
Community,  Brinley  Place,  Roxbury,  Miss  St.  Henry,  aged 
20  years  and  six  months.  This  beautiful  girl  was  sick  at 
Mount  Benedict,  when  the  convent  was  burned,  and  suffered 
a  dreadful  shock  in  the  horrors  of  that  awful  night,  from 
which  she  never  recovered.  On  the  following  morning  she 
was  removed  to  the  house  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity  in  Boston, 
and  lingered  until  the  llth  instant,  when  she  was  removed  to 
the  place  where  she  died.  At  this  time  she  was  so  low  that 
she  could  not  stand  alone,  and  it  seemed  hardly  possible  to 
move  her,  but  she  could  not  bear  to  be  separated  from  the 
beloved  ladies  of  the  community,  and  they  literally  took  her 
and  carried  her  over  like  an  infant  in  their  arms.  She  was 
pleased  with  their  new  situation  and  enjoyed  the  scenery 
very  much.  The  afternoon  before  she  died  her  bed  was 
turned  around  so  that  she  could  see  Mount  Benedict  from 
her  window.  She  viewed  it  a  long  time  and  seemed  much 
consoled  by  the  fact  that  Mount  Benedict  could  be  so  dis- 
tinctly seen  from  Brinley  Place.  During  the  course  of  her 
illness,  so  far  from  manifesting  any  ill  will  against  the 
ruffians,  who,  by  demolishing  the  convent,  had  been  accessory 
to  her  death,  she  often  expressed  pity  for  them  and  prayed 
that  they  might  be  forgiven.  On  the  night  of  the  17th  she 
slept  soundly,  and  on  the  18th  departed  from  this  to  a  better 
world." 

Substantially  the  same  account  of  Sister  St. 
Henry's  last  days  at  Brinley  Place  is  given  in  the 
"Life  of  St.  Angela  Merici  of  Brescia  —  By  the 
Abbe  Parenty"  (pp.  241-242). 

The  funeral  of  Sister  St.  Henry  was  one  of  extra- 
ordinary solemnity.  The  Marquis  de  La  Fayette 
had  just  died  and  arrangements  had  been  made  by 
the  public  officials  for  elaborate  obsequies,  but  at  the 
last  moment  the  order  was  changed,  and  the  honors 
originally  intended  for  the  illustrious  French  soldier 
were  bestowed  on  the  humble  Ursuline.  ("The 


THE  HISTORIC  SITE  89 

Story  of  Mt.  Benedict,"  p.  11  —  By  B.  F.  De  Costa, 
Citizen  Press,  1893.) 

While  at  Brinley  Place  the  nuns  led  the  regular 
community  life.  With  a  courage  worthy  of  the 
highest  admiration,  they  undertook  to  retrieve  their 
shattered  fortunes,  but  were  not  successful,  and,  in 
July,  1835,  the  community  was  disbanded.  The 
present  Superior  of  the  Ursuline  Convent  in  Quebec 
recently  informed  the  writer  that  two  of  the  nuns 
were  received  into  that  community;  two  others,  into 
the  community  at  Three  Rivers,  Canada;  while  three 
offered  themselves  to  the  convent  in  New  Orleans, 
which  accepted  them. 

The  Brinley  mansion  was  purchased  in  1836  by 
Mr.  Samuel  S.  Lewis,  manager  of  the  Cunard 
Steamship  Line.  In  his  time  the  captains  of  the  ves- 
sels, mostly  officers  of  the  English  Navy,  and  many 
of  the  passengers  were  frequent  guests  at  the  house. 
In  an  article  which  appeared  in  the  Boston  Globe  in 
the  summer  of  1883,  an  old  resident  of  Roxbury, 
giving  his  reminiscences  of  Parker  Hill  for  fifty 
years,  says  that  the  famous  English  novelist,  Charles 
Dickens,  on  his  first  visit  to  this  country,  in  1842,  was 
entertained  by  Mr.  Lewis  at  the  celebrated  mansion. 

In  1843  Mr.  John  Bumstead  acquired  the  owner- 
ship of  Brinley  Place.  His  daughter,  Frances, 
married  Lloyd  W.  Wells  of  New  York,  into  whose 
hands  the  place  passed  in  1862,  two  years  after  the 
death  of  Mr.  Bumstead.  In  1866,  Mr.  Wells  leased 
it  to  a  Mr.  Grosinger,  who  converted  both  house  and 
grounds  into  a  pleasure  resort,  which  he  named  the 
"  Franklin  Gardens." 

Three  years  later,  the  Very  Rev.  Joseph  Helm- 
praecht,  the  Superior  of  the  American  Province  of 
the  Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer,  pur- 
chased the  far-famed  estate  from  Mr.  Wells. 


40         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

In  that  blessed  hour  the  Roxbury  shepherds  watch- 
ing their  flocks  by  night  were  visited  by  a  multitude 
of  the  heavenly  army,  and  heard  how  the  Lord  had 
been  new  born  in  their  own  city.  On  that  day  the 
splendid  old  mansion  of  the  Brinleys,  the  Pierponts, 
and  the  Dearborns  was  lifted  up  for  all  time  to  a 
heavenly  plane.  The  house  which  had  played  such  an 
important  part  in  the  cause  of  American  Liberty, 
then  became  the  home  of  those  who  by  their  mission- 
ary labors,  would  bring  to  sin-enslaved  souls  the 
glorious  liberty  of  the  sons  of  God.  The  place  which 
had  once  been  the  social  center  of  cultured  Boston 
was  converted  by  the  wonderful  ways  of  Divine 
Providence  into  the  mercy-seat  of  Our  Lady  of 
Perpetual  Help,  where  the  sacred  fires  of  devotion  to 
Mary,  the  Mother  of  Jesus,  should  burn  with  ever 
increasing  brightness.  On  the  ever  memorable  day 
when  the  Redemptorist  Fathers  established  them- 
selves in  Boston,  once  more  were  verified  the  pro- 
phetic words  which  Our  Blessed  Mother  uttered  long 
ages  ago  in  the  humble  cot  amid  the  rugged  Judean 
hills:  "For,  behold,  from  henceforth  all  generations 
shall  call  me  blessed." 

May  He,  who  was  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary, 
breathe  an  eternal  benediction  on  this  magnificent 
architectural  pile,  the  Grand  Old  Mission  Church,  so 
fair  to  our  eyes,  so  dear  to  our  hearts,  so  soothing  to 
our  souls,  so  vocal  and  so  vibrant  with  the  praises  and 
"  The  Glories  of  Mary  in  Boston!" 


THE  SILVER  LIGHT  OF  THE  MORNING 

STAR. 


HE  John  Baptist  of  the  Redemptorist  foun- 
dation in  Boston  was  the  Rev.  James  A. 
Healy,  pastor  of  St.  James's  Church  in  this 
city,  from  1866  to  1875,  and  Bishop  of  Port- 
land, Maine,  from  1875  to  1900. 
Father  Healy,  having  learned  in  the  late  sixties  of 
the  work  that  the  Redemptorist  missionaries  were 
doing,  requested  them  to  preach  a  mission  in  his 
church.  His  request  was  favorably  received  by  the 
Very  Rev.  Father  Provincial  Helmpraecht.  The 
mission  was  conducted  May  2-25,  1869,  by  a  band 
of  nine  Fathers  under  the  lead  of  the  Rev. 
Frederick  W.  Wayrich  of  St.  Alphonsus'  Church, 
N.  Y.  Father  Healy  expected  the  mission  to  yield 
an  abundant  harvest,  and  he  was  not  disappointed; 
on  the  contrary,  the  actual  results  far  surpassed  his 
rose-colored  anticipations.  The  people,  responding 
nobly  to  every  appeal  of  the  missionaries,  showed 
genuine  fervor  and  unflagging  enthusiasm.  By  the 
great  sacrifices  they  made  to  attend  the  exercises, 
they  proved  conclusively  their  resolute  purpose 
thenceforth  to  labor  for  the  "  one  thing  necessary." 
There  were  more  than  11,000  confessions,  and,  at  the 
end  of  the  mission,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Williams 
confirmed  950  of  the  faithful. 

Father  Healy  was  so  pleased  with  the  work  and  the 
spirit  of  the  missionaries  that  he  strongly  represented 
to  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  the  immense  advantages  that 
would  flow  from  the  establishment  of  a  mission-house 


42         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

in  the  diocese  of  Boston  by  the  Redemptorist  Fathers. 
Although  Bishop  Williams  was  the  last  man  in  the 
world  to  mistake  sentiment  for  reason,  to  be  swayed 
by  the  enthusiasm  of  the  moment  or  to  draw  hasty 
conclusions,  he  heartily  assented  to  the  proposal,  and, 
sending  for  Father  Wayrich,  directed  him  to  bring 
the  matter  to  the  attention  of  his  Superiors.  The 
Very  Rev.  Father  Provincial,  realizing  what  fine 
opportunities  for  good  the  proposed  foundation 
offered,  gave  his  hand  and  his  heart  to  the  cause. 
Without  delay  he  communicated  to  the  Superior 
General  of  the  Institute,  the  Most  Rev.  Nicholas 
Mauron,  the  Bishop's  suggestion  to  found  a  mission- 
house  in  the  diocese  of  Boston.  Father  Mauron  sent 
an  answer  one  hundred  per  cent  prompt  and  affirm- 
ative; and  the  terms  of  the  contract  between  the  Rt. 
Rev.  Bishop  Williams  and  the  Congregation  of  the 
Most  Holy  Redeemer  were  soon  arranged. 

Some  time  afterwards  Father  Helmpraecht  came 
to  Boston,  in  order  to  confer  with  the  Rt.  Rev,  Bishop 
and  Father  Healy  as  to  the  most  suitable  location  for 
a  house.  The  Bishop  named  three  places,  among 
them  Roxbury,  then  called  Boston  Highlands.  When 
the  situation  had  been  thoroughly  canvassed,  the 
kindly  prelate  expressed  the  opinion  that  from  every 
point  of  view,  Roxbury  would  be  the  most  desirable, 
and  Father  Helmpraecht  fully  acquiesced  in  his 
judgment.  Father,  Healy  then  pointed  out  that  the 
piece  of  property  known  as  the  "  Franklin  Gardens  " 
would  make  an  ideal  site.  Messrs.  Krim*  and  Benz, 
prominent  parishioners  of  the  Church  of  the  Most 
Holy  Trinity,  who  were  well  acquainted  with  the 
place,  were  summoned  to  consultation. 

Accompanied  by  these  gentlemen,  Father  Helm- 

*Mr.  Krim  was  the  father  of  the  Rev.  George  J.  Krim,  S.J.,  who 
died  as  president  of  Brooklyn  College,  April  1,  1920. 


SILVER  LIGHT  OF  THE  MORNING  STAR     43 

praecht,  disguised  as  a  layman,  went  over  to  the 
gardens  to  study  the  lay  of  the  land.  The  three  men 
became  engaged  in  what  seemed  like  a  casual  conver- 
sation with  one  of  the  waiters,  who,  in  the  course  of 
his  remarks,  told  them  that  the  lease  expired  that 
very  day,  and  that  the  lessee  was  on  the  point  of  re- 
newing it.  Father  Helmpraecht,  charmed  with  the 
property,  went  at  once  to  the  agent  and  secured  an 
option  on  it.  He  then  summoned  his  senior  adviser, 
the  Rev.  Thaddeus  Anwander,  C.  SS.  R.,  to  Boston. 
A  few  days  later,  both,  dressed  in  lay  garb,  went  to 
the  Gardens  to  talk  over  the  pending  problem. 
Father  Anwander  agreed  entirely  with  his  Superior, 
and  a  formal  decision  to  buy  the  property  was 
reached.* 

In  the  negotiations  with  Mr.  Wells  of  New  York, 
the  owner  of  the  place,  Mr.  Stephen  Rogers,  a 
representative  Catholic  of  Roxbury,  acted  as  the 
agent  of  the  Very  Rev.  Father  Provincial,  who  on 
September  25th,  1869,  came  into  legal  possession  of 
the  property. 

The  estate  acquired  by  the  Fathers  included,  be- 
sides the  old  Brinley  House,  about  five  acres  fronting 
on  Tremont  Street,  which  was  then  called  Brookline 
Road.  To  the  north,  it  extended  about  20  feet 
beyond  what  is  now  the  far  side  of  Smith  Street;  to 
the  west,  it  ran  about  half  way  between  the  present 
St.,  Alphonsus  Street  and  Whitney  Street;  to  the 
east,  and  to  the  south,  the  boundaries  were  the  same 
as  they  are  today.  Directly  opposite  to  the  south, 
was  a  large  quarry  of  the  famous  Roxbury  pudding 
stone,  which  at  the  time  was  being  worked  for  the 
new  cathedral.  Due  north,  rose  the  graceful  towers 

*Just  as  they  were  leaving  the  grounds,  two  trim  and  bright 
little  girls  came  along  the  road.  One  of  them,  on  seeing  the  two 
men,  said  to  her  companion:  "Oh,  look  at  those  two  priests!" 


44        THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

of  Cambridge;  while  to  the  northeast,  were  plainly 
visible  the  noble  proportions  of  Bunker  Hill  monu- 
ment. To  the  southwest,  rose  in  regal  grandeur 
Parker  Hill,  commanding  a  sweeping  view  of  the 
city  and  flashing  to  Bostonians  the  solemn  message 
of  the  everlasting  hills. 


FIRST  PERIOD 
THE  PURPLE  DAWN 

FROM  THE  ERECTION  OF   THE  OLD 

CHURCH^  TO  THE  DEDICATION  OF 

THE   NEW   CHURCH 

1871-1878 


THE    PURPLE   DAWN. 

"Who  is  she  that  cometh  forth  as  the  morning 
rising  .  .  .  ?"  (Canticle  of  Canticles,  6:9) — Office 
for  the  Feast  of  the  Assumption  of  Our  Blessed 
Lady. 

In  February,  1870,  the  Redemptorist  Fathers 
began  to  build  a  church  and  to  transform  the  once 
magnificent  Brinley  mansion  to  the  purposes  of  a 
religious  community.  Brothers  Dennis,  Theodore, 
and  Chrysostom,  all  skilled  mechanics,  superintended 
the  work  of  construction  and  of  adaptation,  which 
was  done  by  the  firm  of  Quick  &  Klein  of  Phila- 
delphia. 

The  old  church,  a  frame  structure,  was  erected  to 
the  east  of  the  house  and  a  little  to  the  west  of  where 
the  present  church  stands.  Approximately,  the  en- 
trance of  the  old  church  coincided  with  the  entrance 
of  the  new  rectory.  Exclusive  of  the  altar  space,  the 
church  was  100  feet  long,  48  feet  broad,  and  24  feet 
high.  It  seated  about  900.  There  were  three  altars; 
the  main  altar  was  dedicated  to  Our  Lady  of  Per- 
petual Help,  the  Patroness  of  the  church;  the  one  to 
the  right,  facing  the  sanctuary,  to  St.  Patrick;  the 
one  to  the  left,  to  the  Holy  Family.  In  all,  there 
were  eight  confessionals:  two  on  each  side,  two 
against  the  rear  wall,  one  in  the  gallery,  and  one  in  a 
room  off  the  sanctuary,  to  the  right.  As  the  pews 
in  the  central  portion  of  the  church  were  of  double 
width,  there  was  no  middle  aisle;  but  the  two  side 
aisles  were  fairly  broad.  There  were  12  windows  of 


48         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

colored  glass;  and,  above  the  gallery,  to  the  height 
of  80  feet  from  the  ground,  rose  a  graceful  tower 
furnished  with  a  bell  weighing  one  hundred  and 
forty-eight  pounds.  All  in  all,  the  church  was  plain, 
yet  pretty.  In  the  language  of  the  heart,  it  spoke  of 
the  humble  Virgin  of  Nazareth,  who  loved  the  lowly 
things,  and,  therefore,  "  was  exalted  above  the  choirs 
of  angels  in  the  heavenly  kingdom." 

The  fine  old  residence  of  the  Brinleys  and  the 
Dearborns  was  so  altered  as  to  provide  a  sacristy,  a 
chapel,  twelve  living  rooms,  a  large  community  room 
or  recreation  center,  a  small  library,  a  dining-room, 
a  kitchen,  and  bathrooms. 

The  first  Redemptorist  priest  to  celebrate  Holy 
Mass  in  the  house  was  the  Very  Rev.  Father 
Helmpraecht.* 

On  Christmas  Day,  1870,  Father  Helmpraecht, 
who  was  ordained  December  21,  1845,  observed  the 
silver  anniversary  of  his  priesthood.  An  elaborate 
celebration  of  the  happy  event  had  been  planned  at 
the  Church  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer  in  New 
York,  where  some  years  previously  he  had  been 
Rector ;  Father  Helmpraecht,  however,  was  a  modest 
man  who  shrank  from  the  garish  light  of  publicity, 
and,  accordingly,  he  stole  away  quietly  to  the  new 
foundation  in  Boston,  where,  without  pomp,  parade, 
or  pride  of  place,  he  offered  up  his  silver  jubilee 
Mass  in  the  future  rectory.  The  scene  of  this  Mass 
was  the  room  in  which,  according  to  tradition,  meas- 
ures were  taken  to  nullify  the  Stamp  Act. 

The  first  Redemptorist  priest  to  fix  his  abode  in 
the  house  was  the  Rev.  Adam  Kreis,  who  came  from 
Annapolis,  Md.,  January  14,  1871.  But  the  first 

*We  say  the  first  "Redemptorist"  priest  because  It  is  very 
probable  that  during  the  time  the  Ursulines  were  here,  Mass  was 
said  for  them  by  some  priest  who  certainly  was  not  a  Redemptorist. 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  49 

Superior  of  the  Mission  Church  was  the  Rev.  Joseph 
Wissel,  of  Baltimore,  who  received  official  notifica- 
tion of  his  appointment,  January  7,  and  arrived  at 
Roxbury  January  28.  The  Rev.  William  O'Connor 
came  from  New  York,  January  19;  the  Rev.  Tim- 
othy Enright,  from  Baltimore,  January  26 ;  the  Rev. 
Louis  Koch,  and  the  Rev.  Francis  X.  Miller  arrived 
February  3 ;  the  former,  from  New  York,  the  latter, 
from  Baltimore.  Arranging  these  names  according 
to  dignity  of  office  and  seniority  of  religious  profes- 
sion, we  find  that  the  personnel  of  the  original  com- 
munity—  the  muster-roll  of  honor  —  was  as  follows: 

The  Rev.  Joseph  Wissel,  Superior, 

The  Rev.  Adam  Kreis, 

The  Rev.  Timothy  Enright, 

The  Rev.  Louis  Koch, 

The  Rev.  Francis  X.  Miller, 

The  Rev.  William  O'Connor. 

The  first  lay  members  of  the  Community  were: 
Brothers  Dennis,  Seraphicus,  and  Christopher. 

They  were  the  pioneers  who  blazed  the  path  for 
us.  We  had  only  to  follow  where  their  torches 
lighted  the  way.  It  is  hard  for  us  to  realize  fully 
the  work  they  did.  When  they  came  to  Boston 
"they  had  nothing  behind  them  but  the  flaming 
zeal  caught  up  from  their  founder,  St.  Alphonsus 
Ligouri,"  but  they  wrought  wonders,  and  we  enjoy 
the  fruits  of  their  labors.  May  these  gallant 
knights  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  pray 
for  us,  that  amid  all  the  changes  and  chances  of  life 
we  may  faithfully  follow  in  their  footsteps,  and 
preserve  inviolate  the  spirit  they  created  and  the 
traditions  they  established  fifty  years  ago! 

On  Sunday,  January  29,  Father  Wissel,  acting  in 
the  name  and  by  the  authority  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop 


50         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Williams,  blessed  the  church  and  dedicated  it  to  the 
Holy  Mother  of  God  under  the  beautiful  title  of 
Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help.  The  historic  event 
was  marked  by  a  High  Mass  at  half  past  nine. 
Father  Wissel  was  the  celebrant  and  preacher.  In 
that  clear  and  simple  style  for  which  he  was  noted, 
he  explained  to  the  congregation  that  the  new  church 
was  not  a  parish  church,  but  a  mission  church.  It 
would  have  no  territorial  limits ;  in  it  only  the  Sacra- 
ments of  Penance  and  the  Holy  Eucharist  would  be 
administered ;  and  those  who  frequented  it  would  still 
be  obliged  to  support  their  own  pastors  and  parish 
churches.  Then  in  words  instinct  with  love  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin,  he  dwelt  on  the  beautiful  meaning  of 
the  title  "  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help."  In  spite 
of  a  heavy  snowstorm,  the  church  was  well  filled. 
There  was  a  large  gathering  of  the  simple  folk  of 
other  days,  to  whom  the  name  of  Mary  was  music  to 
the  ear,  honey  to  the  lips,  and  joy  to  the  heart.  The 
Mass  was  sung  by  the  choir  of  the  Jesuit  Church  of 
the  Immaculate  Conception,  and  the  Rev.  Robert 
Fulton,  S.J.,  president  of  Boston  College,  kindly 
furnished  the  cassocks  worn  by  the  boys  who  served 
the  Mass. 

At  the  evening  devotions,  Father  Enright  preached 
to  a  large  and  attentive  audience  on  the  "  Origin  and 
Progress  of  the  Devotion  to  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 
Help."  His  peroration,  a  noble  specimen  of  elo- 
quence, was  a  beautiful  development  of  the  prophetic 
words  of  Our  Blessed  Lady,  "For,  behold,  from 
henceforth  all  generations  shall  call  me  blessed." 
With  the  vision  of  a  seer,  Father  Enright  must  have 
seen  how  fully  the  history  of  the  Mission  Church 
would  reecho  the  inspired  prediction  of  the  Queen 
of  Heaven.  From  that  day  to  this,  the  very  atmos- 
phere of  the  church  has  been  redolent  of  devotion  to 


MOST  RF.V.  JOHN  JOSEPH  WIMYTAMS,  D.D. 

Consecrated    March    nth,    1866;     created   first   Archbishop   of 
Boston,  Feb.  i2th,  18/5;   died  August  3oth,  1907 


VERY  REV.  JAMES  BARRON,  C.  SS.  R. 
Provincial 


REV.  WILLIAM  B.  KENNA,  C.  SS.  R. 
Present  Rector 


REV.  JOSEPH  WISSEL,  C.SS.R. 

First  Rector  1870-1871.     Died  in  Philadelphia 
Sept.  7,  1912 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  51 

the  Holy  Mother  of  God.  In  the  hymn  of  Marian 
praise  then  so  happily  taken  up,  there  has  never  been 
any  fall  from  concert  pitch,  and  the  grand  harmony 
has  grown  in  volume  as  the  years  have  flown. 

It  is  a  genuine  pleasure  to  record  that  the  morning 
the  church  was  dedicated,  the  Rev.  Robert  Ful- 
ton, S.J.,  president  of  Boston  College,  called  to  pay 
his  respects  and  offer  congratulations  to  the  Fathers. 
Father  Fulton  was  a  fine  type  of  man,  with  a  large 
fund  of  common  sense  and  genial  humor  in  a  big, 
broad,  well-balanced  mind.  In  cordial  terms  he  ex- 
pressed the  fond  hope  that  the  special  blessing  of 
God  and  the  maternal  protection  of  Our  Lady  of 
Perpetual  Help  might  forever  rest  on  the  new  foun- 
dation. The  following  day,  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Magennis,  pastor  of  the  Church  of  St.  Thomas, 
Jamaica  Plain,  came  over  to  the  rectory,  and  in  truly 
fraternal  spirit  assured  the  community  of  his  sincere 
good  will  and  heartfelt  prayers  for  success  in  all  their 
undertakings.  Then  and  there  a  warm  friendship 
sprang  up  between  him  and  the  Redemptorists  of 
Boston.  That  friendship,  which  lasted  for  more  than 
forty  years,  until  the  death  of  Mgr.  Magennis,  will 
always  be  a  treasured  memory  in  the  annals  of  the 
community. 

On  Saturday,  February  4,  Father  Wissel  blessed 
the  bell  in  the  church  tower.  Oh,  that  old 
church  bell!  It  has  come  down  to  us  from  the 
golden  days  of  1871,  yet  its  voice  is  as  clear  and 
as  sweet  as  ever.  Even  today,  in  the  little  belfry 
above  the  sacristy,  its  silver  tongue  utters  the 
familiar  call  to  prayer.  "  God  bless  the  old  mission 
bell!"  said  one  of  the  first  parishioners  to  the  writer 
only  a  short  time  ago.  What  happy  memories  it 
must  awaken  in  the  minds  of  those  venerable  men  and 
women  who  heard  it  in  its  youth,  as  its  rich  tones  rang 


52         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

out  on  the  early  morning  air,  amid  the  Sabbath  still- 
ness, in  the  dear  old  long  ago!  Today,  as  of  old,  it 
serves  as  mentor  and  guide.  It  quickens  the  piety  of 
the  fervent,  and  rebukes  the  sloth  of  the  lukewarm. 
Morning,  noon,  and  night  it  sounds  the  glad  tidings 
of  the  Incarnation;  in  eloquent  vibrations  it  renews 
our  faith  in  the  stupendous  mystery  enacted  in  the 
holy  house  of  Nazareth. 

The  first  Ash  Wednesday  in  the  history  of  the 
Mission  Church,  February  22,  1871,  is  memorable 
as  the  day  on  which  the  rectory  was  solemnly  blessed 
and  placed  under  the  patronage  of  Our  Lady  of 
Perpetual  Help.  Father  Wissel  officiated  in  the 
presence  of  the  entire  community.  The  day  was  one 
of  great  joy  for  the  Fathers  and  the  Brothers;  and 
there  was  a  note  of  triumph  in  the  thought  that  those 
walls  which  in  by-gone  days  had  rung  with  unseemly 
sounds  of  mirth  and  revelry,  would  thenceforth  be 
resonant  with  the  soft  low  cadences  of  the  Litany  of 
Our  Blessed  Mother.  In  view  of  the  patriotic  back- 
ground which  the  house  enjoyed,  it  was  a  happy 
coincidence  that  the  community  life  was  formally 
established  on  Washington's  birthday. 

The  Stations  of  the  Cross  in  the  church  were 
canonically  erected  on  the  evening  of  February  26, 
the  first  Sunday  of  Lent.  Before  the  pictures  were 
blessed  and  affixed  to  the  walls,  Father  Wissel 
preached  a  practical  and  popular  sermon  on  "The 
Nature  and  Origin  of  the  Devotion  of  the  Way  of  the 
Cross."  After  the  exercises,  the  aisles  were  crowded 
with  devout  faithful  who  trod  in  spirit  the  blood- 
stained path  hallowed  by  the  sacred  footsteps  of  their 
Crucified  Saviour. 

In  the  beginning,  the  hours  of  Sunday  Masses  were 
8:00  and  9:30  (High  Mass);  sometimes  there  was 
Mass  at  5:30  also,  according  to  the  number  of 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  53 

Fathers  at  home;  but  even  when  there  was  no  Mass 
at  that  time,  Holy  Communion  was  distributed.  On 
holy  days  of  obligation,  Masses  were  said  at  the  same 
hours  as  on  Sunday.  At  3:30  on  Sunday  afternoon, 
Vespers  were  sung  and  a  German  sermon  was 
preached.  In  the  evening  there  was  an  English  ser- 
mon followed  by  Benediction  of  the  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment. During  Lent  there  were  two  exercises  of 
devotion  in  the  course  of  the  week:  on  Tuesday 
evening,  sermon  on  the  Passion  of  Our  Lord  followed 
by  Benediction,  and  on  Friday  evening,  Stations  of 
the  Cross  and  Benediction.  On  all  holy  days  of 
obligation  there  was  an  English  sermon  and  Benedic- 
tion in  the  evening.  On  Friday  and  Saturday, 
confessions  were  heard  from  3:00  to  6:00  and  from 
7:30  to  10:00  P.  M.,  and  on  Sunday  morning,  from 
5:30  until  all  who  presented  themselves  had  been 
heard.  At  the  beginning  of  September,  some  changes 
were  made  in  the  foregoing  schedule :  Mass  was  said 
regularly  at  5:30  on  Sunday;  the  preaching  of  the 
German  sermon  was  discontinued:  Catechism  class 
for  the  children  at  2:30  and  conference  for  the  men 
at  4:00  P.  M.  on  Sunday  were  introduced. 

On  the  Feast  of  St.  Joseph,  March  19,  1871,  the 
first  Solemn  Mass  in  the  history  of  the  church  was 
sung.  Father  O'Connor  was  celebrant,  Father  En- 
right,  deacon  and  preacher,  and  Father  Kreis,  sub- 
deacon.  After  enumerating  the  glorious  prerogatives 
of  the  Saint  and  his  consequent  claims  to  our  love 
and  veneration,  Father  Enright  dwelt  with  emphasis 
on  the  dignity  of  honest  labor,  so  beautifully  illus- 
trated in  the  life  of  the  Foster-Father  of  the  Child 
Jesus.  Although  the  feast  was  one  not  of  obligation, 
but  of  devotion  only,  the  church  was  crowded  with 
pious  clients  of  the  Glorious  Patriarch,  who,  a  few 
months  before,  had  been  formally  declared  the 


54         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Patron  of  the  Universal  Church  by  Pope  Pius  the 
Ninth. 

When  we  say  that  the  church  was  crowded  on  a 
feast  of  devotion  only,  some  of  our  readers  may  be 
skeptical,  and  think  that  we  are  guilty  of  overstate- 
ment. In  support  of  our  assertion,  we  shall,  there- 
fore, quote  a  work  of  high  merit,  which  speaking  of 
the  Mission  Church  (p.  156)  says: 

"The  small  bell  summoned  not  only  the  neighboring 
Catholics,  but  people  from  all  over  the  city  and  the  neighbor- 
ing towns  flocked  to  this  new  church  where  the  sermons  of 
powerful  speakers  and  veteran  missionaries  packed  the  edifice 
Sundays  and  week  days  and  wrought  great  good  among  the 
people.  So  great  and  eager  were  the  crowds  that  came  to 
hear  the  word  of  God  that  they  were  satisfied  to  sit  in  groups 
before  the  doors  and  windows  rather  than  return  home  again 
entirely  disappointed  when  they  could  not  get  into  the 
church.  For  seven  years  the  people  worshipped  in  this 
humble  church,  during  which  time  they  became  very  much 
attached  to  it.  Although  it  was  not  a  parish  church,  but  a 
mission  church,  where  the  Fathers  preached  and  administered 
the  Sacraments  of  Penance  and  Holy  Communion  only  to 
those  who  frequented  it,  indiscriminately,  the  faithful  clung 
to  it  and  seemed  to  think  that  it  was  sufficient  to  supply  all 
their  spiritual  wants." — "The  Catholic  Church  of  New  Eng- 
land, Archdiocese  of  Boston." 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  55 


MOTHER'S  DAY. 

"Mother  Dearest,  Mother  Fairest;  Help  of  All 
Who  Call  on  Thee" 

Pentecost  Sunday,  May  28,  witnessed  an  event 
which  may  be  justly  considered  the  greatest  land- 
mark in  this  history  of  the  Church  —  the  solemn 
enthronement  above  the  main  altar  of  the  picture  of 
Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help.  It  was  "Mother's 
Day"  in  the  heavenly  sense  of  that  beautiful  term, 
and  an  ideal  day  for  a  grand  ceremony  in  honor  of 
the  Great  Mother.  Above,  smiled  a  clear  blue  sky 
without  shadow  or  suggestion  of  cloud;  the  soft 
atmosphere  was  filled  with  the  fragrance  of  a  thou- 
sand fair  and  delicate  flowers;  in  thicket  and  grove, 
the  birds  of  the  air,  Nature's  Sistine  Choir,  were  sing- 
ing Nature's  "  Ave  Maria"  to  the  Virgin  Most 
Renowned,  while  far  away  to  the  east,  on  the  golden 
sands  of  Nantasket  Beach,  the  sparkling  wavelets 
were  murmuring  "  Hail  Star  of  the  Sea." 

Long  before  the  hour  set  for  the  sacred  function, 
a  large  crowd  of  people,  some  of  whom  had  come  a 
great  distance,  lined  Tremont  Street  and  Bumstead 
Lane.  Promptly  at  half  past  nine,  the  procession, 
'  a  thing  of  beauty  and  a  joy  forever,'  began  to  move 
from  the  rectory  to  the  church.  First,  came  a  number 
of  young  men  wearing  green  sashes;  secondly,  four 
venerable  old  men,  who  formed  an  escort  of  honor  to 
the  picture ;  thirdly,  four  girls  dressed  in  white  frocks 
with  blue  sashes,  who  carried  the  Sacred  Image 
under  a  canopy  held  aloft  by  four  other  girls  simi- 


56         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

larly  attired ;  fourthly,  the  members  of  the  choir,  pre- 
ceded by  the  band;  fifthly  and  finally,  the  officers  of 
the  rite:  Father  Wissel,  celebrant,  Father  Enright, 
deacon,  and  Father  O'Connor,  subdeacon.  During 
the  procession  the  choir  sang  the  Litany  of  Our 
Blessed  Lady,  and  the  whole  countryside  rang  with 
her  praises.  In  clear  pure  tones  her  glorious  titles 
rose  heavenward  like  fragrant  incense,  then,  as  if  by 
marvelous  transformation,  they  fell  like  delicious 
manna  on  the  devout  multitude.  Some  of  the  specta- 
tors actually  wept  for  joy:  an  aged  man  with  a  de- 
cidedly Jewish  cast  of  countenance  was  seen  to  brush 
away  the  tears  that  had  sprung  unbidden  to  his 
eyelids. 

After  the  procession  the  picture  was  blessed  by 
Father  Wissel  and  raised  to  its  place  of  honor  by 
Father  Enright.  Then  down  from  the  organ-loft  and 
up  to  the  rafters  and  all  round  the  church,  floated  the 
exultant  strains  of  the  Magnificat,  till  those  who  lis- 
tened were  enthralled  and  felt  as  if  Heaven  had  been 
let  down  upon  earth,  as  if  the  fell  and  foul  fiends  of 
darkness  had  been  driven  headlong  to  their  fiery 
prison  by  the  mighty  power  of  Her  who  crushed  the 
head  of  the  infernal  serpent. 

Solemn  Mass  followed,  at  which  Father  Wissel 
preached.  He  was  eloquent;  not,  perhaps,  in  the 
academic  or  technical  sense,  not,  perhaps,  with  the 
eloquence  of  the  schools ;  but  in  the  larger  and  higher 
sense,  with  the  eloquence  of  a  man  whose  soul  is  on 
fire  with  his  subject.  He  was  perfect  master  of  his 
theme;  or  rather,  his  theme  was  perfect  master 
of  him.  It  thrilled  his  heart;  it  leaped  from  his  eye; 
it  transfigured  his  whole  countenance.  For  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour,  he  spoke  on  "  The  Nature  and 
Efficacy  of  Devotion  to  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 
Help,"  with  an  unction  worthy  of  a  St.  Alphonsus. 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  57 

What  the  effect  of  his  sermon  was,  we  can  easily 
imagine,  for  "heart  speaks  to  heart."  His  auditors 
were  filled  and  fired  with  an  intense  love  of  Her  who 
on  the  crimson  heights  of  Calvary  became  the  Mother 
of  all  Christians. 

Of  this  historic  event  the  official  records  of  the 
Community  say:  "The  great  numbers,  some  fr6m  a 
long  distance,  that  lined  the  street  through  which  the 
procession  passed,  the  splendid  music,  and  the  per- 
fect decorum  that  prevailed  will  render  it  a  day  cele- 
brated in  the  Catholic  annals  of  Boston."  As  we 
contemplate  this  great  triumph  of  Our  Blessed 
Mother  in  the  light  of  the  subsequent  history  of  the 
Mission  Church,  the  inspired  words  of  Ozias,  the 
prince  of  the  people  of  Israel,  to  Judith,  come  natu- 
rally to  our  lips:  "He  (the  Most  High  God)  hath 
so  magnified  thy  name  this  day  that  thy  praise  shall 
not  depart  out  of  the  mouth  of  men." 

This  magnificent  function  marked  the  formal 
opening  of  a  Grand  Triduum  in  honor  of  the  Mother 
of  Perpetual  Help.  The  three  following  days  there 
was  Solemn  Mass  at  8  A.  M.,  and  at  7:30  P.  M., 
sermon,  with  appropriate  prayers  and  Benediction  of 
the  Blessed  Sacrament.  The  Triduum  was  so  well 
attended  that  many  had  to  wait  for  hours  and  hours 
before  their  turn  for  confession  came.  Through  the 
gracious  mercy  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help, 
souls  innumerable  were  led  to  the  feet  of  Him  who 
came  to  heal  the  contrite  of  heart.  The  reign  of  won- 
derful bodily  cures  also,  wrought  through  her  inter- 
cession, then  began  and  has  continued  ever  since. 
Elsewhere  we  shall  describe  these  prodigies. 

At  the  close  of  the  Triduum  there  was  an  elaborate 
May  procession,  which  was  one  of  the  golden  glories 
of  the  early  history.  The  people  had  been  keyed  up 
by  the  events  of  the  three  preceding  days  to  a  sub- 


58         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

lime  pitch  of  devotion  to  the  Holy  Mother  of  God. 
She  was  the  Queen  of  all  hearts,  and  her  fervent 
lovers  turned  out  en  masse  to  serenade  Her.  The 
appearance  of  her  statue,  which  radiated  an  air  of 
chaste  beauty,  was  the  signal  for  an  outpouring  of 
romantic  love.  The  scene  in  and  around  the  church 
on  that  balmy  afternoon  in  May  beggars  and  baffles 
description.  Fully  to  grasp  and  correctly  to  inter- 
pret the  spirit  that  ruled  the  crowd,  would  require  the 
imagination  of  a  Dante  Alighieri  and  the  heart  of 
Bernard  of  Clairvaux.  Innocent  little  boys  and  girls, 
sturdy  youths  and  gentle  maidens,  stalwart  men  and 
matronly  women  —  all  were  stirred  and  swayed  and 
swept  heavenward  by  the  overpowering  impulse  of 
a  burning  love  of  Her  who  is  the  "Mother  of  Fair 
Love."  The  boundless  devotion  to  our  Blessed  Lady 
shown  on  that  occasion  was  like  that  manifested  by 
the  early  Christians  of  Ephesus,  when  the  prelates 
assembled  there  in  431,  solemnly  proclaimed,  against 
the  impious  heretic  Nestorius,  that  Mary  is  the 
Mother  of  God.  The  wonderful  results  of  the 
Triduum  served  as  a  powerful  incentive  and  a  keen 
spur  to  the  Fathers  to  prosecute  with  tireless  energy 
the  noble  work  of  proclaiming  "  The  Glories  of  Mary 
in  Boston." 

TANTUM  ERGO  SACRAMENTUM. 

Mother's  Day  was  followed  closely  by  a  grand 
ceremony  in  honor  of  Him  who  is  the  "  living  bread, 
which  came  down  from  Heaven."  On  June  11, 
the  Sunday  within  the  octave  of  Corpus  Christi, 
there  was  an  open-air  procession  in  honor  of  the 
Blessed  Sacrament.  According  to  a  writer  in  the 
Boston  Pilot,  this  beautiful  solemnity  was  utterly  un- 
known in  Boston.  To  some  of  our  readers  this  may 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  59 

sound  strange,  but  they  must  remember  that  in  1871, 
the  spirit  of  Knownothingism  still  prevailed,  at 
least  as  a  latent  force,  in  this  section  of  the  country ; 
consequently,  anything  like  a  public  manifestation 
of  faith  in  the  Real  Presence  might  easily  have  been 
the  occasion  of  sacrilegious  outrages  against  the 
Adorable  Sacrament. 

The  unique  spectacle  drew  a  crowd  estimated 
at  three  or  four  thousand.  An  hour  and  a  half  before 
the  procession  was  scheduled  to  start,  the  hills  to  the 
south  and  the  roads  adjacent  to  the  church  were 
black  with  people.  All  traffic  on  Tremont  St.  had  to 
be  suspended.  The  spectators  were  quiet,  serious  and 
prayerful.  They  felt  the  Awful  Presence  of  Him, 
who,  with  shrouded  radiance  and  bedimmed  majesty, 
dwells  beneath  the  Eucharistic  Species.  Had  a 
stranger  asked  the  reason  of  their  assembling,  they 
would  with  one  voice  have  told  him  that,  "  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  was  passing  by." 

After  Solemn  Vespers,  at  3  o'clock,  the  procession 
moved  out  of  the  church.  As  soon  as  the  advance 
guard  came  in  sight,  a  dead  silence  fell  on  the 
great  throng,  like  that  which  brooded  over  the 
waters  of  the  Lake  of  Galilee  when  Christ,  the 
Mighty  God,  hushed  the  wild  winds  and  stilled  the 
angry  waves.  In  an  instant,  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren were  on  their  knees.  They  struck  their  breasts 
and  prayed  with  glowing  countenances,  as  Moses 
prayed  on  the  mountain  top  in  the  days  of  old.  The 
Ages  of  Faith  had  come  back  to  modern  Boston. 
Here  on  that  day  was  enacted  a  scene  not  unlike 
those  which  Catholic  tourists  tell  us  take  place  yearly 
on  the  rugged  slopes  of  the  Austrian  Tyrol  or  the 
sun-scorched  plazas  of  Seville,  where  love  of  the 
Eucharistic  King  is  woven  into  the  hearts  of  the 
people.  The  procession,  in  which  about  400  of  the 


60        THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

faithful  took  part,  halted  round  a  temporary  altar 
erected  on  the  highest  point  in  the  Fathers'  Garden. 
The  canopy  was  held  above  the  little  altar,  and  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  enthroned.  The  band  then 
struck  up  the  majestic  hymn  "  This  is  the  day  which 
the  Lord  hath  made."  In  quick  succession  followed 
the  Tantum  Ergo.  Then  He  who  in  the  olden  days 
blessed  the  eager  multitudes  round  the  bark  of  Peter, 
was  lifted  up  in  benediction,  while  "  the  neighboring 
hills  seemed  to  bow  down  before  their  Creator  and 
all  Nature  appeared  to  pay  profoundest  tribute  to 
her  Maker  and  Preserver.' 

One  of  the  altars  at  which  Benediction  was  given 
stood  right  on  the  spot  where  forty-two  years  before, 
almost  to  the  day,  the  elder  General  Dearborn  had 
been  buried.  Thus,  the  horrors  of  the  tomb  were 
routed  by  the  splendors  of  the  Cenacle.  During  the 
procession  the  celebrant,  Father  Wissel,  heard  some 
one  weeping.  Instinctively  he  looked  up  and  beheld 
an  old  man  trembling  with  emotion,  the  tears  stream- 
ing down  his  cheeks.  Shortly  after  the  procession 
he  met  the  man  outside  the  church,  and  asked  him 
why  he  had  been  so  deeply  moved.  The  venerable 
old  gentleman  then  related  that  about  sixty  years 
before,  when  he  was  a  boy,  a  meeting  of  the  promi- 
nent citizens  of  Roxbury  had  been  held  in  a  hall  in 
town  for  the  purpose  of  devising  means  to  exclude 
the  Irish  from  the  place.  His  father  was  confiden- 
tially informed  of  the  petty  cabal,  and  determined  to 
find  out  all  about  it.  By  some  clever  ruse  he  managed 
to  get  the  boy  into  the  hall  and  to  secrete  him  in  a 
closet  just  off  the  room  where  the  men  met.  In  the 
course  of  the  evening,  the  lad  heard  Gen.  Dearborn 
remark,  "  The  Irish  are  to  be  praised  for  their  indus- 
try, but  hated  for  their  religion."  "  Today,"  said  the 
old  man,  "I  wept  for  joy  when  I  saw  the  altar 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  61 

erected  right  where  that  bigoted  man  had  been 
buried."  In  this  connection  it  is  interesting  to  note 
that  an  elderly  woman  whom  the  writer  asked  what, 
in  her  opinion,  was  the  greatest  event  in  the  history 
of  the  church,  replied,  "  The  grandest  thing  that  ever 
happened  was  the  Benediction  of  the  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment given  during  the  first  Corpus  Christi  procession 
on  the  knoll  where  Gen.  Dearborn  had  been  buried." 
Nearly  all  the  old  parishioners  whom  the  writer 
interviewed  said  they  could  never  forget  the  first 
Corpus  Christi  procession.  It  was  a  truly  historic 
event.  Even  in  the  lengthy  perspective  of  fifty 
years,  the  memory  of  it  is  still  clear  and  distinct. 

With  mild  reservations  we  may  describe  this  fes- 
tive function  in  the  beautiful  words  of  the  eloquent 
Archbishop  Glennon  of  St.  Louis: 

"The  twelfth  century  brings  the  great  feast  of  Corpus 
Christi  and  the  day  of  the  Blessed  Lord's  Eucharistic  pro- 
cession is  inaugurated.  Watch  the  doors  of  the  great  Middle 
Age  Cathedrals  swing  open.  See  come  forth  the  long  array, 
cross-bearer  and  acolyte,  youth  and  maiden.  They  carry 
banners  and  bear  torches  and  strew  flowers  in  the  way. 
Here  come  the  old  and  rulers  with  bared  heads.  Now  they 
give  no  command ;  they  bow  to  one  greater  than  they.  Here 
come  in  long  array  priests  and  prelates,  all  united  in  the 
democracy  of  a  common  devotion.  And  now  we  hear  from 
the  dim  aisles  the  voice  of  song,  'Tantum  Ergo  Sacramen- 
tum' ;  it  is  taken  up  by  those  without ;  it  is  answered  by  the 
chiming  bells;  it  reverberates  from  the  hillside  where  the 
cannon  boom.  Everywhere  is  exultation  and  reverence. 
Well,  indeed,  may  the  people  exult;  well  may  they  exclaim 
there  is  no  other  nation  so  great  which  hath  its  gods  nigh 
unto  it,  as  God  is  present  to  us.'  For,  lo,  from  the  portals 
of  the  temple  is  now  seen  the  golden  canopy,  beneath  which 
is  carried  the  Holy  Eucharist;  the  Saviour  comes  to  His 
own,  and  from  His  moving  throne,  He  blesses  the  city  and 
the  world.  Around  the  city  the  Blessed  Sacrament  is  borne 
in  triumph,  amid  prayer  and  hymns  and  flowers.  He  is  verily 
the  King.  This  is  His  feast  day.  The  Fete  Dieu,  the  feast 
of  Corpus  Christi." 


62         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

After  the  procession,  a  delegation  of  prominent 
Catholic  laymen  of  Boston,  headed  by  Mr.  Patrick 
J.  Donahue,  the  Founder  and  Editor  of  the  Boston 
Pilot,  called  at  the  rectory  to  congratulate  the 
Fathers  and  to  express  their  admiration  of  the  work 
they  were  doing. 


THE  REV.  WILLIAM  H.  GROSS,  SUPERIOR. 

There  was  no  happier  man  in  the  city  of  Boston 
than  the  humble  Father  Wissel,  when,  on  July  20, 
he  was  freed  from  the  heavy  cross  of  the  Superior- 
ship,  and  took  his  place  as  a  subject  in  the  ranks.  He 
was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  William  H.  Gross, 
C.  SS.  R.,  who  four  months  before  had  been  assigned 
to  the  church  as  an  assistant.  At  the  time  of  his  pro- 
motion Father  Gross  was  a  vigorous  young  man,  34 
years  of  age,  able,  eloquent,  and  of  charming  per- 
sonality. Although  Father  WisseFs  tenure  of  office 
was  brief,  he  crowded  a  great  deal  of  work  into  a 
short  space  of  time.  Even  to  this  day  he  is  lovingly 
remembered  by  the  older  generation  as  the  faithful 
husbandman  who  planted  the  tiny  acorn  which  soon 
developed  into  the  sturdy  oak.  Fortunately,  however, 
he  remained  a  member  of  the  Boston  Community 
until  September,  1872,  when  he  was  transferred  to 
St.  Mary's  Church,  Annapolis,  Md.,  and  appointed 
Master  of  the  Second  Novitiate  —  a  position  of  honor 
and  trust. 

The  first  outstanding  act  of  Father  Gross's  admin- 
istration was  to  inaugurate  a  grand  Triduum  in 
honor  of  St.  Alphonsus,  the  founder  of  the  Congre- 
gation of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer,  who,  on  July  7, 
had  been  solemnly  declared  a  Doctor  of  the  Universal 
Church  by  Pope  Pius  the  Ninth  of  saintly  memory. 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  63 

To  be  enrolled  among  the  Doctors  of  the  Church  is  a 
lofty  honor  and  a  comparatively  rare  distinction  be- 
stowed on  those  Saints  only  who  have  been  preemi- 
nent for  the  unsullied  purity  of  their  teaching,  as  well 
as  for  the  heroic  sanctity  of  their  lives.  It  was, 
therefore,  a  source  of  inexpressible  joy  to  Redempto- 
rists  the  world  over,  to  see  their  Holy  Father  and 
Founder  adorned  with  the  brilliant  crown  of  the 
Doctorate.  Father  Gross,  loyal  son  of  St.  Alphonsus 
that  he  was,  put  forth  every  effort  to  make  the 
Triduum  first,  a  fitting  testimonial  to  the  great  Saint 
of  modern  times,  and  secondly,  a  fruitful  source  of 
spiritual  blessings  to  the  faithful. 

The  exercises  began  on  Sunday,  July  30,  with  a 
Solemn  Mass  of  which  Father  Miller  was  celebrant, 
Father  Enright,  deacon,  and  Father  O'Connor,  sub- 
deacon.  The  sermon  was  preached  by  a  Jesuit 
Father,  who,  with  an  eye  to  the  practical,  built  up  his 
discourse  on  the  characteristic  virtues  of  the  Saint: 
his  spirit  of  constant  prayer,  his  seraphic  love  of 
Jesus  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament  and  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  Mary,  and  his  flaming  zeal  for  souls.  The 
reverend  preacher's  conclusion,  on  which  was  lavished 
all  the  wealth  of  his  fine  oratorical  powers,  was  an 
impassioned  plea  to  his  hearers  to  live  the  life  of 
prayer  as  the  Saint  had  done. 

At  the  evening  exercises,  Father  Gross  himself 
discoursed  on  "  The  Wonderful  Dispensation  of 
Divine  Providence  in  Regard  to  St.  Alphonsus."  He 
began  by  laying  down  the  general  principle  that  in 
every  age  of  the  Church's  existence  Almighty  God 
raises  up  great  men  and  sends  them  forth  fully 
equipped  to  combat  and  conquer  the  moral  evils  of 
their  time.  Then  by  easy  stages  he  led  his  auditors 
down  the  long  aisle  of  the  centuries,  pointing  out 
how  St.  Athanasius  was  chosen  to  slay  the  dragon  of 


64        THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Arianism,  St.  Cyril,  to  impale  the  hydra-headed 
monster  of  Nestorianism,  St.  Dominic,  to  draw  the 
fangs  of  the  serpent  of  Manichaeism,  St.  Ignatius,  to 
be  the  David  against  the  Goliath  of  Luther anism,  and 
lastly,  St.  Alphonsus,  to  detect  and  neutralize  the 
subtle  poison  of  Jansenism,  which  was  barricading  the 
door  of  the  Tabernacle  and  driving  the  faithful  away 
from  the  Communion  rail.  Father  Gross  then  drew  a 
beautiful  picture  of  the  life  of  St.  Alphonsus,  with  its 
lights  and  its  shadows,  its  triumphs  and  its  trials,  its 
Thabors  and  its  Gethsemanes,  and  showed  how  for 
sixty  years,  with  ringing  voice  and  trenchant  pen,  the 
Saint  had  fought  Jansenism  and  smoothed  the  path 
that  leads  to  the  Eucharistic  Table.  Finally,  Almighty 
God  had  set  the  seal  of  his  approval  on  the  valiant 
labors  of  Alphonsus  by  conferring  on  him  the  trans- 
cendent glory  of  the  Doctorate. 

At  the  Mass  the  following  morning,  Father  Miller 
laying  special  stress  on  the  Saint's  tenderness  towards 
the  most  miserable  sinners,  portrayed  him  as  an 
enlightened  director  of  souls.  At  the  evening  exer- 
cises, Father  Finotti,  pastor  of  St.  Mary's  Church, 
Brookline,  sketched  the  history  of  the  Congregation 
of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer,  emphasizing  sharply 
the  zeal  of  its  members  for  the  salvation  of  souls.  At 
the  close  of  his  sermon,  he  spoke  in  the  highest  terms 
of  the  self-sacrificing  labors  of  the  band  of  Redemp- 
torists,  who,  some  time  previously,  had  given  a  mission 
at  his  church. 

On  Tuesday  morning,  August  1,  Father  Gross 
preached  on  "The  Powerful  Intercession  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin."  One  who  heard  him  said  that  no 
pen  could  do  justice  to  the  orator  in  describing  his 
sermon;  it  would  be  necessary  for  one  personally  to 
see  the  animation  which  lighted  up  the  face  of  the 
speaker,  and  the  beauty  and  grace  of  his  delivery  fully 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  66 

to  appreciate  its  excellence.  Father  Gross  dwelt  in 
touching  terms  on  the  boundless  faith  of  Our  Blessed 
Mother  from  Bethlehem  to  Calvary.  His  profoundly 
pathetic  description  of  her  soul-piercing  agony  during 
the  Passion  of  Christ  drew  tears  from  the  eyes  of  his 
audience,  while  his  magnificent  eloquence  in  portray- 
ing the  tender  devotion  of  Alphonsus  to  the  Holy 
Virgin  melted  the  hearts  of  those  who  had  the  good 
fortune  to  hear  him.  Years  afterwards,  the  mere 
remembrance  of  the  sermon  was  sufficient  to  kindle 
piety  in  the  soul. 

On  Wednesday  morning  the  8  o'clock  Mass  was 
celebrated  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Williams,  and 
Father  Gross  again  occupied  the  pulpit.  In  a  short 
but  meaty  and  pithy  sermon  on  the  ardent  love  which 
St.  Alphonsus  always  cherished  for  Our  Lord  in  the 
Blessed  Sacrament,  he  begged  the  parents  to 
show  good  example  to  their  children  by  approaching 
the  Sacraments  regularly  and  by  frequently  visiting 
the  church.  After  expressing  his  genuine  pleasure  at 
the  large  number  of  communicants,  he  fervently 
besought  St.  Alphonsus  to  bless  the  congregation,  the 
city,  and  the  diocese  of  Boston. 

During  the  Triduum  about  800  people  partook  of 
the  Eucharistic  Banquet,  and  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop 
expressed  himself  as  gratified  beyond  measure  at  the 
consoling  results  of  the  sacred  exercises. 

It  is  pleasant  to  note  that  the  church  was  estab- 
lished the  same  year  that  the  honor  of  the  Doctorate 
was  conferred  on  St.  Alphonsus. 

THE  FIRST  MISSION. 

Another  event  of  commanding  interest  and  impor- 
tance in  the  history  of  the  old  church  was  the  first  mis- 
sion. In  order  to  create  the  proper  spirit  and  temper, 


66         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

the  Fathers  announced  the  mission  4  weeks  ahead. 
During  the  intervening  time,  the  Hail  Mary  and  the 
Glory  be  to  the  Father  were  recited  nine  times  every 
day  after  the  five-thirty  and  seven  o'clock  Masses. 

The  women's  mission  opened  January  7,  1872,  and 
closed  on  the  sixteenth.  The  missionaries  were  the 
Rev.  Fathers  Wissel,  Henning,  Meredith,  and  Burke. 
Father  Henning  struck  the  right  note  in  the  introduc- 
tory sermon,  and,  as  the  sequel  showed,  met  with  a 
hearty  response.  Although  the  church  seated  only 
about  900,  nearly  1500  women  were  present  every 
evening.  Not  only  was  every  available  inch  of  space 
in  the  body  of  the  church  taken,  but  the  sacristy  and 
the  sanctuary  also  were  overcrowded,  the  women  sit- 
ting on  the  altar-steps.  During  the  early  days  of  the 
mission,  according  to  an  eyewitness,  some  of  them 
entered  even  the  confessionals,  and  took  possession  of 
the  seat  which  the  priest  ordinarily  occupies.  Those 
who  could  not  possibly  edge  or  wedge  their  way  into 
the  church,  remained  outside  till  the  end,  in  the  hope 
of  catching  a  sentence  here  and  there.  The  faith 
manifested  by  the  women  was  worthy  of  the  primitive 
Christians.  They  left  all  things  to  hear  the  saving 
truths  of  religion  and  to  be  "renewed  in  the  spirit  of 
their  mind."  Although  many  of  them  had  to  walk 
miles  to  the  church,  such  was  their  sturdy  and  sublime 
devotion  that  they  did  not  miss  a  single  exercise.  The 
few  of  them  who  are  still  living  love  to  recall  the 
blessed  days  of  the  first  mission.  Through  the  mist  of 
the  crowded  years,  they  can  still  see  the  missionaries 
in  the  pulpit,  now  threatening  the  impenitent  with 
the  terrible  judgments  of  an  angry  God,  now  encour- 
aging the  contrite  with  the  thought  of  the  all-prevail- 
ing power  and  mercy  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 
Help.  In  all,  1,803  women  made  the  mission. 

The  men's  mission  began  on  January  18.    After 


MOST  REV.  WILLIAM  GROSS,  D.D.,  C.SS.R. 

Rector  1871-1873.  Consecrated  Bishop  of  Savannah 
1873 :  appointed  Archbishop  of  Oregon  City,  1885  ; 
died  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  November  I4th,  1898 


REV.  LEOPOLD  PETSCH,  C.SS.R. 

I'cctor  1873-1877.     Died  in  Boston 
June  20,  1882 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  67 

reading  the  above  description  of  the  women's  mission, 
one  could  hardly  imagine  that  the  men's,  could  surpass 
it  in  point  either  of  numbers  or  of  enthusiasm,  but 
such  was  in  reality  the  case.  Nearly  five  hundred  more 
men  than  women  made  the  mission ;  the  total  number 
of  men's  confessions  was  2,297.  This  figure  repre- 
sents the  number  of  men  who  honestly  made  the 
mission  to  the  best  of  their  ability;  for,  you  may  be 
sure,  the  missionaries  had  no  time  to  hear  the  confes- 
sions of  any  others.  An  old  gentleman  who  attended, 
speaking  of  the  crowds,  said  to  the  writer:  "  Not  only 
was  the  church  packed  full,  but  the  men  were  up  on 
the  lamp-posts  outside,  looking  into  the  church.  I  saw 
that  with  my  own  eyes."  "Father,"  said  another, 
"let's  go  across  the  street,  and  I'll  show  you  the 
spot  where,  seated  on  a  stone  wall,  I  listened  to  the 
sermons."  More  than  one  man  was  heard  to  say  that 
had  the  church  been  three  times  as  large,  it  would 
certainly  have  been  filled.  Many  of  the  men  quit 
work  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  in  order  to  make 
sure  they  could  get  to  church  in  time  to  find  a  seat ; 
some  of  them  sent  their  little  boys  every  evening  at 
six  o'clock,  to  hold  a  place  for  them  till  they  arrived. 
In  addition  to  the  eight  ordinary  confessionals,  two 
were  improvised ;  yet  the  total  proved  entirely  inade- 
quate; the  doors  of  the  rectory  were  then  thrown 
open;  and  confessions  were  heard  in  the  rooms  of 
Fathers  Wissel,  Meredith,  Koch,  Miller,  O'Connor, 
and  Burke,  in  the  library,  under  the  main  staircase, 
and  even  in  the  apartments  reserved  for  the  Very 
Rev.  Father  Provincial.  Far  and  wide  the  mission 
was  the  only  topic  of  conversation;  the  men  talked 
about  it  at  jwork,  and  invited  their  Protestant  friends 
to  swell  the  crowd.  Even  the  non-Catholics  took  a 
lively  interest  in  the  wonderful  "revival,"  as  they 
termed  it.  One  of  them  said  to  a  Catholic  friend, 


68         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

"  Can  you  tell  me  what  inducement  is  offered  to  the 
men  to  go  out  at  5  o'clock  in  the  morning?  Why, 
down  at  our  church,  if  it  rains  a  little,  even  the 
minister  does  not  come." 

The  mission  was  brought  to  a  close,  January  28, 
with  a  thrilling  sermon  by  Father  Henning,  "the 
priest  with  the  golden  palate,"  as  the  people  called 
him.  As  he  stood  in  the  pulpit  that  memorable  night, 
and  looked  out  over  the  immense  gathering  united  as 
one  man  in  a  high  and  holy  purpose,  he  was  stimulated 
to  extraordinary  eloquence,  and  with  trip-hammer 
blows  drove  home  the  salient  points  of  his  discourse 
on  "  The  Means  of  Perseverance."  .  His  forceful 
words  sank  deeply  into  the  souls  of  the  men  and  filled 
them  with  that  sublime  enthusiasm  which  can  be  in- 
spired only  by  the  "faith  once  delivered  to  the 
Saints."  When  Father  Henning  called  on  them  at 
the  end  of  his  discourse  to  renew  the  baptismal  cove- 
nant, they  responded  in  an  emphatic  and  deep-toned 
"I  do  renounce,"  "I  do  believe,"  that  sounded  like 
the  voice  of  many  waters.  While  the  preacher  was 
imparting  in  elegantly  chosen  words  the  last  blessing 
of  the  missionaries,  big  strong  men  with  rugged 
hearts  and  iron  nerves,  men  of  sturdy  fibre  and 
extraordinary  self-command,  were  seen  to  tremble 
with  emotion.  The  final  ceremony  was  one  of  touch- 
ing and  inspiring  beauty;  and  the  lesson  taught  by 
the  whole  mission  was  the  marvelous  and  mysterious 
power  of  the  grace  of  God.  It  showed  how  "  He  who 
could  walk  the  waters,  could  also  ride  triumphantly 
upon  what  is  still  more  fickle,  unstable,  tumultuous, 
treacherous  —  the  billows  of  human  wills,  human  pur- 
poses, human  hearts." 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN 


Generous  Benefactors. 

One  of  the  many  beneficial  results  of  the  mission 
was  to  increase  a  hundredfold  the  love  of  the  devoted 
people  for  the  "  little  church  "  and  the  "  Mission  Fath- 
ers." This  affection,  deep  and  true,  found  expression 
in  a  noble  generosity  worthy  of  all  praise.  The  faith- 
ful could  never  do  enough  either  for  the  Fathers 
or  for  the  church  which  had  become  to  them  the  vesti- 
bule of  Heaven.  With  a  lavish  hand  they  gave  their 
services  and  their  substance  for  the  comfort  of  the 
community  and  the  beautifying  of  the  church.  Men 
who  were  too  poor  to  contribute  money,  would,  after 
working  hard  all  day,  present  themselves  at  the  rec- 
tory in  the  evening,  and  offer  to  do  chores  round 
the  church  grounds.  A  gentleman  of  only  modest 
means  provided  a  carpet  for  the  Sanctuary,  a  large 
desk  for  use  in  the  office  of  the  priests'  house,  and 
beautiful  paintings  for  the  corridors.  A  lady  who 
Jived  far  away  donated  a  magnificent  set  of  vestments 
and  certain  furnishings  for  the  Sanctuary.  "Two 
Friends  of  the  Mission  Church"  presented  two 
statues  of  the  Mother  of  Sorrows.  One  of  these 
splendid  gifts  was  a  work  of  art  so  superbly  wrought 
that  when  unveiled  in  the  Sanctuary,  March  10,  it 
brought  tears  to  the  eyes  of  many  of  the  beholders.  A 
few  days  afterward,  one  gentleman  sent  a  fine  sanctu- 
ary lamp,  and  another,  a  carpenter  by  trade,  offered 
to  put  in  gratis  a  new  flooring  in  the  community 
room.  On  March  16,  Father  Gross  received  as  a  per- 
sonal gift  a  splendid  writing  desk  with  all  the  proper 
appurtenances.  A  little  later,  he  was  called  away  on 
a  mission,  and  during  his  absence,  a  devoted  worker 
did  so  much  to  improve  the  house  that  Father  Gross 
on  his  return  said  he  had  to  look  twice  to  make  sure 
he  was  in  the  right  place. 


70         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

And  not  only  in  the  church's  youth,  but  also  in  every 
other  era  of  her  existence,  her  devoted  children 
have  given  her  the  best  they  had,  and  the  supercrown- 
ing  merit  of  their  generosity  has  been  not  so  much 
the  material  value  of  what  they  gave,  as  the  spirit  in 
which  they  gave  it.  Purely  out  of  love  of  Our 
Blessed  Mother,  they  have  contributed  unstintingly 
to  every  cause  calculated  to  promote  "  The  Glories  of 
Mary  in  Boston."  Without  waiting  to  be  asked,  still 
less  urged,  they  have  come  forward  on  all  occasions, 
and  placed  at  her  feet  their  little  or  their  much, 
according  as  their  fortune  lay.  Their  gifts  and 
services  to  the  church  have  been  a  brilliant  reflection 
of  their  touching  devotion  to  Her  whose  sweet  name 
is  the  very  warp  and  woof  of  the  Mission  Church. 

To  give  a  complete  list  of  our  benefactors  would  be 
impossible.  Many  of  them  would  never  reveal  their 
identity;  they  wished  to  be  known  only  as  "Clients  of 
Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,"  or  "Friends  of  the 
Mission  Church."  Others  gave  their  names,  but 
would  never  allow  them  to  be  published.  But  even  of 
those  to  whom  we  might  by  name  give  thanks,  the 
number  is  so  great  as  to  preclude  individual  mention. 
The  point,  however,  which  we  wish  to  emphasize  is 
that,  for  the  most  part,  the  benefactors  of  the  church 
have  been  hard-working  men  and  women,  the  plain 
people  who  go  through  life  without  fanfare  of  trum- 
pets, without  frills  or  furbelows.  It  was  they  who 
made  possible  the  erection  of  the  stately  group  of 
buildings  of  which  the  parish  may  be  justly  proud. 
God  bless  these  grand  souls  of  simple  faith  and  golden ' 
heart !  It  will  be  a  source  of  gratification  and  conso- 
lation to  them  to  learn  that  every  day  just  before 
noon  the  Fathers  and  the  Brothers  recite  in  common 
the  Litany  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  for  the  benefactors 
of  the  church  and  of  the  community.  From  the  sweet 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  71 

eyes  of  Our  Mother  Mary,  from  her  gracious  smile, 
from  her  serene  brow,  may  ten  thousand  blessed 
influences  rain  down  on  the  generous  friends  of  the 
Mission  Church  to  brighten  their  lives  in  this  land  of 
exile,  and  to  enhance  their  glory  in  the  eternal  king- 
dom of  her  Son! 

The  beautiful  month  of  May,  1872,  with  its  green 
foliage  and  its  bright  blossoms,  with  its  balmy  days 
and  its  mild  temperature,  with  its  sweet,  yet  forcible 
suggestion  of  the  Mystical  Rose,  was  one  prolonged 
carnival  of  praise  to  Mary  and  of  blessings  to  her 
faithful  children  of  the  Mission  Church.  Day  after  day 
they  came  to  tell  Her  that  they  loved  Her,  the  little 
ones  especially  being  conspicuous  by  their  presence. 
They  came  in  troops  to  pay  their  earthly  homage  to 
the  Mother  of  the  Innocent.  Kneeling  at  the  altar 
rail,  they  looked  up  wistfully  at  her  Sacred  Image, 
and  with  trembling  lips  and  melting  hearts  poured 
forth  their  souls  in  simple  prayer  that  She  might  take 
them  to  her  sheltering  bosom.  The  octogenarian  also, 
"for  whom  the  shadows  and  illusions  of  life  were 
over,"  might  have  been  seen  telling  his  beads,  as  they 
do  in  the  old  country,  when  the  darkness  of  night  has 
fallen  and  the  blustering  winds  are  shrieking  round 
the  cabin  door.  Every  evening  during  the  month,  a 
short  sermon  on  Our  Blessed  Lady  was  preached,  and 
brought  forth  abundant  fruit;  the  confessionals  were 
thronged  with  those  who,  with  Mary's  help,  had  deter- 
mined to  rise  from  the  death  of  sin  to  the  life  of 
grace.  At  the  close  of  the  month,  Father  Wissel 
delivered  a  forcible  sermon  on  "The  Admirable 
Effects  of  Devotion  to  the  Mother  of  God."  His  key- 
note was:  "By  our  constant  devotion  to  the  Blessed 
Virgin  we  must  convert  this  country,  after  converting 
ourselves  and  obtaining  for  all  Catholics  the  grace  to 


72         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

be  such  Christians  as  they  ought  to  be."  In  tones 
that  rang  out  like  a  pistol  shot,  he  urged  parents  to 
cultivate  this  devotion  in  their  families,  and  to  bring 
up  their  children  "in  the  true  Catholic  way,  by  build- 
ing Catholic  schools,  so  that  next  to  the  church  with 
its  lofty  steeple  surmounted  by  the  Cross,  we  may 
behold  a  splendid  school  where  the  young  may  be 
properly  instructed  in  their  religion  and  taught  the 
beauty,  the  efficacy,  and  the  necessity  of  devotion  to 
Mary,  the  Mother  of  Jesus." 

Grand  and  imposing  as  was  the  Corpus  Christi 
procession  of  1871,  it  was  surpassed  in  several  points 
by  the  one  held  the  following  year.  Of  the  latter,  the 
Boston  Pilot  said  in  part : 

"The  procession  was  formed  by  the  members  of  the  two 
societies  established  by  the  Redemptorist  Fathers,  that  of 
the  Holy  Family  for  married  and  single  men,  and  the  Altar 
Society  for  young  girls  and  women.  The  whole  made  an  im- 
posing line  of  a  mile  and  a  half  in  length,  under  the  marshal- 
ship  of  Mr.  John  C.  Shayer,  and  must  have  numbered  nearly 
2,000  men,  women  and  children. 

"The  procession  wound  through  the  grounds  of  the 
church,  in  which  two  altars  were  erected  for  the  benediction, 
one  in  the  hollow  and  the  other  on  the  summit  of  the  hill,  and 
when  the  winding  procession  had  massed  on  the  slope  before 
the  altar,  on  which  knelt  the  priests  swinging  incense  before 
the  Blessed  Sacrament,  with  thousands  of  people  kneeling 
with  bowed  heads,  the  scene  was  one  never  to  be  forgotten." 

The  number  of  spectators  was  larger  than  in  1871, 
so  large  that  ten  policemen  were  detailed  to  prevent 
accident.  Quite  a  few  Protestants  were  present, 
who,  far  from  manifesting  any  disrespect  or  creating 
any  disturbance,  showed  themselves  most  respectful 
and  reverent,  and  seemed  deeply  impressed  by  what 
they  saw  and  heard. 

As  the  Mission  Church  became  more  widely  known, 
the  number  of  those  who  came  to  consult  the  Fathers 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  78 

about  the  affairs  of  their  souls,  or  to  present  their 
non- Catholic  friends  for  instructions  in  the  faith,  con- 
stantly increased.  Father  Gross,  therefore,  found  it 
necessary,  in  the  spring  of  1872,  to  make  three  addi- 
tional reception-rooms,  where,  night  after  night,  the 
Fathers  engaged  in  the  same  heavenly  work  as 
our  Divine  Saviour,  when  He  sat  down  by  Jacob's 
well  to  instruct  and  convert  the  woman  of  Samaria. 
Moreover,  Father  Gross  did  much  to  beautify  the 
community  garden:  a  strong  wall  was  built  round  it; 
a  large  number  of  trees  were  planted,  and  two  or 
three  walks  laid  out. 

On  Sunday,  June  9,  a  lecture  which  compelled  the 
attention  of  Catholic  and,  to  some  extent,  of  Protes- 
tant Boston  also,  was  delivered  at  Music  Hall  by  the 
Rev.  Father  Henning.  In  a  full-column  article  on 
the  masterly  discourse,  the  Boston  Herald  said 
among  other  things : 

"Music  Hall  was  crowded  last  evening,  on  the  floor  and  in 
both  balconies,  with  an  audience,  which  for  over  an  hour 
listened  with  the  most  profound  attention  to  a  lecture  by 
Rev.  Joseph  Henning,  C.SS.R.,  on  the  subject  of  'Infalli- 
bility in  the  Catholic  Church.'  The  lecture  was  given  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Redemptorist  Church,  Roxbury.  Patrick 
Donahue,  Esq.,  presided  over  the  assembly  and  introduced 
the  lecturer.  ...  At  frequent  intervals  throughout  the  lec- 
ture, which  was  delivered  without  notes  or  memoranda,  the 
speaker  was  heartily  applauded." 

At  the  beginning  of  July,  the  Irish  Band,  then 
touring  the  United  States,  paid  a  visit  to  Boston. 
While  in  the  city,  they  offered  to  play  at  the  High 
Mass  at  the  Mission  Church  on  Sunday,  the  seventh, 
the  Feast  of  the  Precious  Blood.  Father  Gross 
courteously  informed  them  that  he  would  be  delighted 
to  have  them  do  so.  Bright  and  early  on  the  appointed 
day,  the  Band  in  full  regalia  was  on  hand.  The  dis- 


74         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

tinguished  musicians  fully  sustained  by  their  fine  per- 
formance the  high  reputation  they  enjoyed.  Under 
the  direction  of  the  organist,  Dr.  Hart,  the  choir  sang 
Mozart's  Twelfth  Mass,  with  solos  by  Mrs.  Hart, 
Miss  Kohler,  Mr.  Donovan,  and  Mr.  Bock.  The  ser- 
mon was  preached  by  an  illustrious  guest  of  the 
Fathers,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Ignatius  Persico,  Bishop  of 
Savannah,  former  Vicar  Apostolic  of  India,  later 
(1874)  Apostolic  Delegate  to  Canada,  and  finally 
(1896)  Cardinal  Priest  of  the  title  of  St.  Peter  in 
Chains. 

After  the  Mass,  luncheon  was  served  at  the  rectory 
to  the  Band  and  a  few  other  invited  guests.  During 
the  flow  of  coffee,  Father  Wissel  entertained  the  com- 
pany with  an  interesting  historical  sketch  of  the  house 
in  which  they  were.  The  gentlemen  were  intensely 
surprised  when  he  told  them  that  in  a  room  nearby, 
about  a  hundred  years  before,  the  opposition  to  the 
Stamp  Act  had  been  organized,  the  idea  of  the  Decla- 
ration of  Independence  first  suggested,  and  many 
other  measures  against  the  Crown  devised.  On  behalf 
of  the  Irish  Band,  Mr.  Dwyer  responding  to  the 
words  of  welcome  spoken  by  Father  Gross,  thanked 
his  hosts  sincerely  for  the  very  cordial  reception  ten- 
dered him  and  his  colleagues,  and  said  they  would 
never  forget  their  visit  to  the  Mission  Church  of 
Roxbury. 


FATHER  GROSS  ADORNED  WITH  THE  EPISCOPAL 
PURPLE. 

In  1873,  a  most  signal  honor  was  conferred  on  the 
whole  American  Province  of  the  Redemptorists,  but 
especially  on  the  Boston  Community  and  on  the  Mis- 
sion Church:  Father  Gross  was  chosen  by  the  Holy 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  75 

See  to  be  Bishop  of  Savannah.  Five  years  before, 
the  eloquent  Redemptorist  had  given  a  series  of  mis- 
sions in  that  diocese,  and  had  made  so  favorable  an 
impression  on  Bishop  Persico  that  when  the  latter 
resigned,  in  1872,  on  account  of  ill  health,  he  sug- 
gested to  the  Roman  authorities  the  name  of  the  Rev. 
William  H.  Gross,  C.  SS.R.,  as  his  successor.  The 
recommendation  was  adopted,  and  on  February  2, 
1873,  Father  Gross  was  preconized  Bishop  of 
Savannah. 

Although  the  Catholics  of  Roxbury  were  delighted 
to  see  this  lofty  honor  bestowed  on  one  who  was  in 
every  way  worthy  of  it,  nevertheless,  they  felt  keen 
regret  at  the  thought  of  losing  a  priest  who  had  so 
endeared  himself  to  them.  Father  Gross,  on  his  part, 
while  humbly  submitting  to  the  will  of  the  Holy 
Father,  was  filled  with  sorrow  at  the  reflection  that 
his  elevation  to  the  episcopacy  would  take  him  away 
from  the  people  he  esteemed  so  highly,  from  the  work 
he  liked  so  well,  and  from  his  brethren  in  religion,  to 
whom  he  was  united  by  so  many  ties  of  love.  But  strict 
obedience  to  the  Pope  was  an  imperative  duty,  and 
accordingly  he  prepared  to  say  "Farewell"  to  the 
people,  to  the  community,  and  to  the  little  church  on 
the  hill — "the  home  of  his  heart  and  his  love." 

Father  Gross  left  Boston,  April  14,  for  the  Redemp- 
torist Seminary  at  Ilchester,  Md.,  in  order  to  make 
the  retreat  which  the  Church  prescribes  for  bishops 
before  their  consecration.  He  was  consecrated  at  the 
Baltimore  Cathedral,  April  27,  by  the  Most  Rev. 
Archbishop  Bayley  of  that  see,  with  Bishop  Becker 
of  Wilmington  and  the  late  Cardinal  Gibbons  (then 
Bishop  of  Richmond,  Va.)  as  co-consecrators.  The 
sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Frederick  W. 
Wayrich,  C.SS.R.,  of  St.  Alphonsus'  Church,  N.  Y. 


76         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


THE  REV.  LEOPOLD  PETSCH,  C.SS.R.,  AT  THE  HELM. 

About  three  weeks  after  the  departure  of  the 
Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Gross,  the  Rev.  Leopold  Petsch, 
C.SS.R.,  was  appointed  Superior  of  the  Mission 
Church.  Father  Petsch,  formerly  of  St.  Alphonsus' 
Church,  Baltimore,  arrived  here  May  8,  and  after 
his  formal  induction  into  office,  took  up  his  new 
duties  with  zest  and  enthusiasm. 

When  the  month  of  June  came  round,  the  faithful 
began  to  look  forward  eagerly  to  the  Corpus  Christi 
procession.  The  imposing  rite  was  held  on  the  fif- 
teenth, the  Sunday  within  the  octave  of  the  feast.  So 
many  of  the  people  sought  a  place  in  the  grand 
Eucharistic  train,  that  more  than  1,800  were  admitted 
to  the  line.  The  canopy  bearers  were:  Mr.  Patrick 
Donahue,  Founder  and  Editor  of  the  Boston  Pilot, 
Captain  Emery,  president  of  the  Boston  Savings 
Bank,  and  Messrs.  McAuley  and  Rogers  —  four 
proud  and  happy  men.  The  celebrant  was  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Magennis,  pastor  of  the  Church  of  St. 
Thomas,  Jamaica  Plain,  the  deacon,  the  Rev.  Alfred 
DeHam,  C.SS.R.,  and  the  subdeacon,  the  Rev.  Fran- 
cis X.  Schnuettgen,  C.SS.R.  About  8,000  people 
witnessed  the  procession. 

Within  two  years  and  a  half  after  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Boston  foundation,  the  activities  of  the 
Mission  Church  had  grown  to  such  an  extent  that  it 
became  necessary,  in  the  early  summer  of  1873, 
greatly  to  enlarge  the  rectory.  Father  Petsch,  there- 
fore, built  a  wing  running  north  on  Bumstead  Lane, 
on  the  western  side  of  the  house.  This  addition 
provided  eleven  living  apartments,  bathroom,  and 
spacious  dining  room.  The  last  apartment  was  ready 
for  use  on  September  27;  the  others  were  ready 
towards  the  end  of  December. 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  77 

On  Sunday,  Aug.  24,  1873,  the  Rev.  Augustine 
Freitag,  C.  SS.  R.,  of  the  Mission  Church  preached  at 
the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  St.  Peter's  Church, 
Dorchester,  which  was  destined  to  become  one  of  the 
grandest  edifices  in  the  diocese.  The  pastor  then,  and 
for  forty-four  years  subsequently,  was  Father 
(afterward  Monsignor)  Peter  Ronan.  The  present 
pastor  is  the  Rt.  Rev.  Joseph  G.  Anderson,  Titular 
Bishop  of  Myrina,  Vicar  General  and  Auxiliary  to 
the  Cardinal  Archbishop  of  Boston. 

Another  high  light  in  the  picture  of  the  olden  days 
was  the  arrival  from  Rome,  December  23,  1873,  of 
the  relics  of  the  holy  martyr,  St.  Nazarius,  which 
were  to  find  their  future  resting-place  in  our  far- 
famed  sanctuary  of  Mary.  The  precious  treasure 
was  obtained  by  Father  Wissel  through  his  brother, 
Father  Raphael,  a  Benedictine  monk  of  Subiaco, 
Italy.  The  historic  deposition,  December  28,  was 
invested  with  elaborate  ceremonies  befitting  the 
solemnity  of  the  event.  The  Boston  Globe  carried 
the  following  account  of  it: 

"At  the  Catholic  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help, 
under  the  direction  of  the  Redemptorist  Fathers  at  Boston 
Highlands,  the  solemn  translation  of  the  body  of  the  martyr 
Saint  Nazarius,  which  lately  arrived  from  Rome,  was  cele- 
brated Dec.  28.  About  9:30  A.M.,  as  announced,  the 
ceremonies  commenced  with  a  procession  in  which  the  relics 
of  the  Saint  were  borne  round  the  interior  of  the  church. 
The  procession  consisted  of  the  members  of  the  Archcon- 
fraternity  of  the  Holy  Family,  wearing  medals,  and  number- 
ing about  forty  men;  the  Redemptorist  Fathers  attached  to 
the  church,  viz.,  Fathers  Petsch,  Freitag,  Wissel,  Bohn, 
Xavier,  Enright,  and  Kuper;  the  Rev.  R.  Fulton,  S.J., 
president  of  Boston  College;  the  Rev.  A.  Sherwood  Healy, 
rector  of  the  cathedral ;  and  the  Rt.  Rev.  J.  J.  Williams, 
bishop  of  the  diocese.  The  relics,  which  consisted  of  some 
bones  of  the  saint,  were  imbedded  in  a  wax  figure,  represen- 
tative of  his  form  and  costume,  and  were  borne  by  the  clergy 


78         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

in  the  procession,  after  which  they  were  deposited  in  a  cavity 
in  front  of  the  altar,  where  they  will  remain  in  view  of  the 
congregation.  During  the  procession,  the  Litany  of  the 
Saints  was  chanted  by  the  priests.  After  the  exposition  of  the 
relics  by  the  officiating  clergy  and  their  return  to  the  sanctu- 
ary, a  grand  high  mass  was  sung,  the  Rev.  R.  Fulton,  S.J., 
acting  as  celebrant;  the  Rev.  A.  Freitag,  C.SS.R.,  deacon; 
the  Rev.  M.  Bohn,  C.SS.R.,  subdeacon ;  the  Rev.  A.  Sherwood 
Healy,  master  of  ceremonies.  The  choir  sang  Haydn's  first 
mass  in  B  flat  with  Farmer's  'Gloria,'  Lambillole's  'Veni 
Creator,'  and,  at  the  offertory,  the  'Venite  Adoremus.' 
Miss  Nellie  McGowan  presided  at  the  organ,  and  the  singing 
was  conducted  by  Mr.  Quich,  tenor,  the  soprano  being  sung 
by  Miss  Mooney,  alto,  Miss  Crosby,  and  the  bass,  Mr. 
Rogers.  At  the  close  of  the  mass  the  *Te  Deum'  was  sung 
by  the  clergy  and  choir,  responding  alternately.  The  church 
was  tastefully  decorated  with  evergreens  and,  notwithstand- 
ing the  snowstorm,  was  filled  in  every  part. 

"The  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  J.  Wissel,  C.SS.R., 
on  the  life  and  martyrdom  of  St.  Nazarius.  He  began  by 
giving  a  brief  history  of  the  times  in  which  the  great  martyr 
figured,  and  showed  the  principal  causes  of  opposition  to  the 
Christian  religion,  from  the  Roman  emperors.  The  latter, 
he  said,  claimed  the  people's  homage,  and  were  jealous  of 
any  person  who  would  be  likely  to  get  any  portion  of  it. 
Marcus  Aurelius,  who  was  Emperor  at  the  time  of  St. 
Nazarius's  persecution,  was  not  personally  at  enmity  with 
the  Christians,  but,  like  most  earthly  princes,  he  was  the 
slave  of  his  Ministers  and  compelled  to  do  their  behests. 

"The  principal  object  of  the  tortures  inflicted  on  the  poor 
victims  was  to  try  to  extract  some  confession,  or  some  blas- 
phemy against  the  faith  which  their  persecutors  were  trying 
to  crush.  They  were  stretched  on  racks  and  made  to  sit  on 
iron  chairs  heated  to  the  highest  possible  point,  and  when 
they  were  almost  reduced  to  the  lowest  extremity  of  human 
weakness,  they  were  questioned  about  their  belief.  This, 
said  the  speaker,  is  the  history  of  the  early  martyrdom  of 
Rome;  and  what  are  the  lessons  we  should  derive  from  it? 
We  should  derive  the  example  of  purity  and  stability  in 
faith,  and  perseverance  in  the  practices  of  our  religion. 
St.  Nazarius  died  for  the  same  faith  which  we  profess;  he 
was  a  member  of  the  same  holy  Catholic  and  Apostolic 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  79 

Church  in  which  we  have  the  privilege  of  worshipping.  He 
died  1700  years  ago,  when  the  Church  was  in  its  infancy  and 
before  it  had  attained  to  the  prominence  which  it  possesses 
in  our  day,  and  yet  his  faith  in  it  was  so  firm  that  he  will- 
ingly laid  down  his  life  in  its  defence.  We  have  the  same 
laws  and  the  same  infallible  guide  at  our  head  that  the  church 
then  had ;  there  is  no  difference  and  no  change  in  the  doctrine, 
and  our  duty  is  the  same.  We  may  not  be  called  upon  to  lay 
down  our  lives  in  profession  of  our  faith,  but  if  that  be  nec- 
essary, we  ought  to  be  prepared  for  it.  Let  us  pray  for 
firmness  in  faith  and  purity  in  morals,  and  if  we  cannot  ob- 
tain that  bright  crown  of  martyrdom,  we  will  surely  gain  the 
reward  promised  and  prepared  for  those  who  do  the  work  of 
the  Lord  well  and  faithfully." 

The  presence  of  the  relics  of  St.  Nazarius  served 
to  strengthen  and  intensify  the  faith  of  the  people  by 
bringing  home  vividly  to  their  minds  the  bitter  days 
of  persecution  through  which  the  infant  Church  was 
obliged  to  pass,  when  no  less  than  eleven  million 
Christians,  rather  than  renounce  the  faith,  allowed 
themselves  to  be  hanged,  drawn  and  quartered  or 
thrown  to  wild  beasts  on  the  glittering  sands  of  the 
Roman  amphitheatre.  One  of  the  early  parishioners 
said  that  he  was  more  impressed  by  the  ceremonies 
attending  the  deposition  of  the  relics  of  Saint 
Nazarius  than  by  any  other  event  in  the  history  of 
the  church.  "  We  knew  the  relics  were  coming,"  he 
added,  "and  there  was  a  great  deal  of  excitement 
over  the  idea  of  having  the  remains  of  a  Saint  in 
the  church." 

Before  the  Solemn  Mass  on  the  Feast  of  St.  Pat- 
rick, 1874,  a  statuary  group  representing  the  Glori- 
ous Apostle  of  Ireland  baptizing  the  King  of  Tara, 
was  blessed  in  the  presence  of  a  large  congregation. 
The  group,  which  may  still  be  seen  above  the  altar  of 
the  Saint,  was  once  the  property  of  King  Ludwig  of 
Bavaria.  He  presented  it  to  a  priest  in  the  West, 


80         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

who  sold  it  to  Benziger  Bros.,  from  whom  the  Fathers 
purchased  it. 

The  Corpus  Christi  procession  of  1874  attained 
splendid  preeminence  by  reason  of  the  fact  that 
3,000  of  the  faithful  marched  in  the  ranks,  and  two 
companies  of  the  famous  Ninth  Regiment  of  Massa- 
chusetts formed  a  guard  of  honor  round  the  Blessed 
Sacrament.  The  number  of  non- Catholics  who  wit- 
nessed the  inspiring  scene  was  greater  than  ever,  and 
after  the  procession  a  highly  educated  man  came  to 
the  rectory,  and  asked  to  be  received  into  that  Church 
whose  members  showed  such  lively  faith  in  the  Real 
Presence.  Scarcely  had  he  gone,  when  a  woman  of 
culture  and  refinement  entered,  and  told  one  of  the 
Fathers  that  she  had  been  so  deeply  impressed  by  the 
procession  of  the  previous  year  that  it  had  led  to  her 
conversion;  that  she  was  now,  thanks  to  Our  Lord  in 
the  Blessed  Sacrament,  a  humble  child  of  the  Church ; 
that  at  last  she  had  reached  the  Harbor  of  Truth, 
safe  from  the  tumbling  and  tossing  of  the  waves  of 
doubt  and  infidelity. 

In  the  summer  of  1874,  the  Fathers  sold  a  piece  of 
property  to  the  north  to  the  city  of  Boston,  for  the 
purpose  of  forming  a  new  public  road  to  be  called 
"  Smith  Street."  However,  they  still  retained  a  nar- 
row strip  of  land  on  the  far  side  of  the  proposed 
street.  The  portion  sold  was  40  feet,  the  part 
reserved,  19  feet  wide. 

On  the  fourth  Sunday  of  October,  to  the  three 
Masses  at  5:30,  7:00  and  9:30,  a  fourth,  at  8  A.  M., 
was  added. 

Although  the  church  at  this  time  had  been  less  than 
four  years  in  existence,  it  had  become  hopelessly 
inadequate  to  accommodate  the  immense  crowds  that 
frequented  it.  Its  fame  had  spread  not  only  through- 
out Massachusetts,  but  throughout  all  New  England. 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  81 

This  may  sound  like  a  sweeping  conclusion  based  on 
slender  premises,  like  a  vain  boast  without  foundation 
in  fact ;  nevertheless,  it  is  the  simple  truth.  Many 
instances  in  point  might  be  given,  but  one  or  two  will 
have  to  suffice:  as  early  as  1872,  a  man  suffering  from 
a  severe  physical  handicap,  came  all  the  way  from 
Vermont  for  the  sole  purpose  of  going  to  confession 
to  one  of  the  "  Mission  Fathers,"  and  a  woman,  frail 
and  delicate  in  health,  journeyed  200  miles  with  the 
same  end  in  view.  Non-Catholics  likewise  came  from 
afar  to  rest  in  the  shadow  of  the  "  fair  olive  tree  in 
the  plains."  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  was  con- 
stantly enlightening  souls  that  had  long  groped  in 
the  darkness,  and  leading  them  to  her  favored  Shrine. 
There  were  in  many  places  "thrilling  hearts,  trem- 
ulous pulses,  and  eager  eyes"  looking  towards  the 
spot  "whence  came  that  concord  of  sweet  and  holy 
sounds,"  that  majestic  anthem  of  praise  to  Mary,  of 
whom  was  born  the  King  of  Eternal  Glory. 

Father  Petsch,  ever  since  his  installation,  had  been 
devoting  to  the  question  of  a  larger  church  careful 
and  prayerful  thought,  serious  and  profound  study. 
Quietly  he  had  been  maturing  his  plans  for  an  edifice 
that  should  be,  to  some  degree  at  least,  worthy  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  who  had  deigned  to  make  the 
Mission  Church  the  center  of  her  glories  in  New  Eng- 
land. At  length  he  determined  to  erect  a  grand, 
lofty  and  stately  temple  that  should  be  a  never-fading 
light  to  guide  the  feet  of  Mary's  children  "  o'er  moor 
and  fen,  o'er  crag  and  torrent  till  the  night  is  gone." 
"  I  was  exalted  like  a  cedar  in  Libanus,  and  as  a 
cypress  in  Mount  Sion;  I  have  stretched  out  my 
branches  as  the  terebinth,  and  my  branches  are  of 
honor  and  of  grace."  *  The  voice  of  the  turtle  "  was 
to  be  heard  in  this  Boston  land ;  "  the  glory  of  Libanus 
.  .  .  the  beauty  of  Carmel  and  Saron"  were  to  be 


82         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

bestowed  on  the  Virgin  Mother  of  God.  The  people 
hailed  with  delight  the  idea  of  a  new  church;  at  the 
first  suggestion  of  it,  the  devout  clients  of  Mary 
exclaimed,  "  Arise,  make  haste,  my  love,  my  dove,  my 
beautiful  one,  and  come." 


THE  FOUNDATIONS  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH. 

At  8:30  A.  M.,  September  21,  1874,  a  bright  and 
beautiful  day  at  the  gateway  of  autumn,  the  first  sod 
was  turned  for  the  foundation  of  the  new  church  by 
the  Rev.  Father  Petsch.  That  was  an  event  full  of 
heavenly  joy  for  the  devout  faithful;  that  was  an 
event  that  told  of  gilded  palaces  in  the  blessed  land 
where  the  God  of  Infinite  Goodness  has  prepared 
many  mansions  for  those  who  love  Him.  "Day  after 
day  and  in  the  still  night ...  as  constantly  as  sun  and 
moon  and  stars  go  forth  in  heaven,"  the  pious  clients 
of  Mary  raised  their  hearts  in  fervent  prayer  to  Our 
Divine  Lord  for  the  success  of  the  great  undertaking. 

About  nine  months  later,  June  8,  1875,  the  first 
stone  was  laid.  The  work  of  construction  was  begun 
at  the  northwestern  buttress,  where  the  wall  of  the 
sanctuary  meets  the  wall  of  the  sacristy.  The  founda- 
tion, which  was  four  feet  and  a  half  thick,  was  laid  on 
solid  rock.  "  This  is  the  house  of  the  Lord,  firmly 
built,  it  is  well  founded  on  a  firm  rock."  How 
significant  that  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 
Help  should  be  built  on  a  rock,  like  the  Universal 
Church  founded  by  Christ  on  the  Rock  of  Peter,  nine- 
teen hundred  years  ago ! 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  83 


THE  LAYING  OF  THE  CORNER-STONE. 

"Sing  joyfully  to  God,  all  the  earth;  make  melody,  rejoice 
and  sing." 

On  May  28,  1876,  just  five  years  to  the  day  after 
the  Sacred  Image  of  Our  Lady  had  been  enthroned, 
the  corner-stone  of  the  new  church  was  solemnly 
blessed  and  laid  by  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop 
Williams. 

The  ceremonies  began  with  a  procession  of  the 
people,  about  1,200  being  in  line.  They  were  escorted 
by  companies  E  and  F  of  the  Massachusetts  Volun- 
teer Militia  under  command  of  Capt.  John  B. 
Reardon  of  the  Grattan  light  infantry;  the  First 
Lieutenant  was  Patrick  H.  Cronin;  the  Second,  Pat- 
rick B.  Murphy  (now  the  Rev.  Patrick  B.  Murphy, 
pastor  of  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Holy 
Rosary,  S.  Boston) . 

"Among  the  priests  present  were:  The  Reverend 
Fathers  Blenkinsop,  pastor  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul's, 
South  Boston;  McGlew,  pastor,  Chelsea;  O'Brien, 
pastor,  East  Cambridge;  Brennan,  pastor,  Dedham; 
Corcoran,  pastor,  Hyde  Park;  Byrne,  pastor  of  St. 
Mary's,  Charlestown;  Supple,  pastor  of  St.  Francis 
de  Sales',  Charlestown;  Brady,  S.J.,  St.  Mary's, 
Boston;  Duncan,  S.  J.;  Peters,  S.  J.;  Galvin,  Fitz- 
patrick,  McQuaide,  M.  X.  Carroll,  McMahon,  Mil- 
lerick,  Barry  of  Jamaica  Plain,  and  Anwander, 
C.  SS.R.,  Rector  of  St.  Joseph's  Church,  Roches- 
ter, N.  Y." 

The  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  James 


84         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

A.  Healy,  Bishop  of  Portland,  Maine.  Taking  his 
text  from  Josue,  23:27,  "Behold  this  stone  shall 
be  a  testimony  to  you  that  it  hath  heard  all  the  words 
of  the  Lord  which  he  hath  spoken  to  you,"  the 
Bishop  said: 

"Most  Rev.  Prelate,  Rev.  Fathers  and  Brethren:  When  at 
the  end  of  their  pilgrimage  the  Israelites  had  at  last  arrived 
at  the  Promised  Land,  their  leader,  Josue,  before  his  death, 
assembled  the  people,  renewed  their  covenant  with  the  Lord 
and  addressed  them  in  the  above  words.  He  set  up  a  stone, 
and  this  stone  was  to  be  a  testimony  and  a  sign  of  their 
covenant,  lest  they  might  deny  the  Lord,  their  God.  In  the 
same  manner  the  corner-stone  which  is  laid  to-day  will  serve 
as  a  testimony  to  future  times  of  the  dedication  of  this 
church  to  the  service  of  the  Lord.  I  know  not  at  what  epoch 
the  ceremony  of  laying  the  corner-stone  originated;  in  the 
ages  of  persecution  the  worship  of  God  was  often  confined 
to  the  crypt  or  the  room,  and  did  not  cease  to  be  secret  until 
after  the  triumph  of  the  church  and  the  conversion  of  the 
emperors.  As  from  the  earliest  ages  this  has  been  a  striking 
and  significant  ceremony,  with  us  it  is  made  a  testimony  and 
a  covenant  of  what  the  Lord  spake  to  the  people  of  the  Lord. 
To  us  the  ceremonial  becomes  a  figure  not  merely  of  adapta- 
tion, but  of  full  and  solemn  significance.  Our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  corner-stone.  For  He,  rehearsing  the  words  of 
David  and  Josue,  tells  us,  "The  stone  which  the  builders 
rejected,  hath  become  the  chief  stone  of  the  corner."  And  the 
Saints  Peter  and  Paul  tell  us,  that  "He  is  the  chief  corner- 
stone, chief  foundation  of  the  Temple."  The  corner-stone 
which  forms,  as  St.  Paul  tells  us,  the  bond  by  which  Jew  and 
Gentile  are  united ;  by  this  corner-stone  saint  and  sinner  are 
made  fellow-members  of  that  spiritual  temple  of  which  they 
are  living  stones.  Using  the  same  figure  Our  Lord,  address- 
ing the  Prince  of  the  Apostles,  declares :  "Thou  art  Peter," 
that  is,  a  rock ;  so  Peter  and  all  the  Apostles  became  stones 
of  that  spiritual  temple,  the  Church,  but  all  founded  on  one 
corner-stone — Our  Saviour,  the  Foundation  of  all.  Again 
St.  Paul,  addressing  the  early  Christians,  tells  them  that, 
whether  Jew  or  Gentile,  Barbarian  or  Scythian,  they  were 
all  made  members  by  one  temple.  Do  you  not  see  here  an 
influence,  a  union,  a  spirit  acting  on  us  also?  Here  we  are 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  85 

to-day  of  many  countries,  of  many  nationalities,  but  of  one 
faith ;  and  to-day  this  corner-stone  is  to  be  laid,  and  it  shall 
be  a  witness  and  a  testimony  to  other  times  of  what  words 
it  hath  heard,  and  in  this  stone  to-day,  as  in  the  Ark  of  the 
Covenant,  is  testified  a  solemn  declaration  that  shall  last  for 
ages.  Should  time,  whose  march  destroyeth  all  things,  de- 
stroy also  this  temple,  then  the  documents  placed  under  this 
stone  shall  declare  the  founding  of  this  church  in  the  pon- 
tificate of  Pius  IX,  the  successor  of  St.  Peter,  by  the  Most 
Rev.  Archbishop  Williams,  the  angel  of  the  city ;  and  it  is  to 
be  remarked  that  in  the  ritual  of  the  prayer  used  to-day, 
special  reference  is  made  to  this,  in  order  that  the  grace 
which  is  diffused  by  the  Sacraments  may  continue  to  abound 
and  the  faithful  to  assemble  to  hear  the  words  of  salvation. 

"Rev.  Fathers,  you  who  revive  the  primitive  fervor  and 
humility  of  the  apostolic  ages,  see  what  a  mission  is  here;  to 
watch  that  no  error  shall  enter,  to  inculcate  the  fear  of  God 
• — for  the  'fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom' — 
and  from  this  sanctuary  to  minister  to  the  wants  of  the 
faithful.  This  is  the  sacred  fire  of  which  Our  Saviour  speaks, 
and  which  shall  inflame  the  faithful  in  the  way  of  salvation. 

"Let  the  walls  of  this  church  then  arise ;  let  it  spring  from 
a  foundation  of  living  stone ;  let  it  rise  high,  surmounted  by 
a  cross,  and  stand  as  a  sign  and  a  monument  for  our  covenant 
with  God.  May  the  name  of  the  Saviour  herein  continue  to 
be  invoked  and  His  worship  to  be  practised !  As  the  inspired 
writer  says  of  the  Heavenly  Jerusalem,  'Jerusalem,  thou  city 
built  of  living  stones,'  so  let  us  form  one  temple,  that  shall 
grow  ever  towards  the  blessed  abode  of  one  faith,  one  hope, 
one  charity,  and  become  partakers  of  the  reward  promised 
to  those  who  to  the  end  stand  firm  in  the  hope  of  all  He  has 
promised." 

At  the  conclusion  of  Bishop  Healy's  scholarly  dis- 
course, the  ceremony  proper  began.  Amid  profound 
silence  the  age-old  psalms  of  the  church  were  heard: 
"  How  lovely  are  thy  Tabernacles,  O  Lord  of  Hosts!" 
"  Unless  the  Lord  build  the  house,  they  labor  in  vain 
who  build  it."  It  was  a  solemn  moment  when  the 
Archbishop,  setting  the  stone,  said  in  grave  and 
measured  tones :  "  In  the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ,  we  lay 


86         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

this  corner-stone  on  this  foundation:  In  the  name  of 
the  Father,  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost ..."  At  the  end  of  the  services,  while  His 
Grace  was  pronouncing  the  benediction,  the  immense 
crowd  that  had  assembled  in,  around,  and  on  the  rocky 
heights  reverently  knelt  and  made  the  Sign  of  the 
Cross. 

The  festivities  were  over.  History  had  been  made. 
It  had  been  a  day  of  triumph  and  exaltation  for  Our 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help.  The  fragrance  of  the 
Glories  of  Mary  hung  around  the  corner-stone,  as 
clouds  of  incense  float  round  the  sanctuary  after  the 
God  of  the  Eucharist  has  withdrawn  behind  the 
door  of  the  Tabernacle.  The  sun  had  set  on  as  fair  a 
day  as  ever  issued  from  the  creative  hand  of  Him 
"  who  dwells  in  light  inaccessible."  In  a  rich  velvet 
sky,  the  serene  and  silent  stars  had  taken  up  their 
faithful  vigil  before  the  sapphire  throne  of  Her  who  is 
the  Queen  of  Heaven.  In  the  peace  and  quiet  of  the 
domestic  chapel,  the  Fathers  and  the  Brothers  had 
lifted  up  their  voices  in  that  grand  old  prayer,  "  Hail, 
Holy  Queen!"  Fatigued  from  the  labors  of  the  day, 
they  had  retired  to  rest.  They  were  dreaming, 
dreaming  of  the  glories  that  were  to  come,  dreaming 
of  the  "  Woman  clothed  with  the  sun,  and  the  moon 
beneath  her  feet."  But,  alas!  their  dreams  were 
doomed  to  be  broken  by  an  appalling  reality. 

In  dead  silence  the  night  was  wearing  on,  when 
suddenly,  at  half  past  eleven,  out  on  the  still  air  rang 
the  terrible  cry  of  "  Fire!  Fire!"  Brother  Chrysos- 
tom,  a  light  sleeper,  smelling  smoke  and  hearing  the 
crackling  of  flames,  gave  the  alarm :  the  rectory  was 
on  fire.  Making  a  mad  rush  for  the  community  bell, 
he  rang  it  frantically  until  all  his  brethren  had  been 
aroused  from  sleep.  Out  into  the  corridors  they 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  87 

staggered,  half  dazed  and  terror-stricken.  The 
flames  were  leaping  in  big  sheets  from  the  library 
and  the  adjoining  staircase.  "  Make  sure  that  all  are 
awake!"  cried  out  one.  "Save  what  you  can!" 
shouted  another.  In  a  few  seconds,  one  of  the  Fath- 
ers succeeded  in  reaching  the  church,  and  began  to 
ring  the  bell  as  a  sign  to  the  neighbors  that  fire  had 
broken  out.  As  the  church  was  in  danger  of  catching 
fire,  he  at  once  removed  the  Blessed  Sacrament  and 
the  sacred  vessels  to  the  home  of  a  devout  Catholic 
family  nearby. 

As    soon    as    our   good    loyal   people   heard   the 
jerky,  nervous  ringing  of  the  bell,   they  surmised 
what  the  trouble  was.     Men,  women,  and  children, 
impelled  by  deep  faith  and  fond  love  of  Our  Lady 
of    Perpetual    Help,    fairly    flew    to    the    rectory, 
many  of  them  reaching  there  even  before  the  firemen. 
The  first  thought  of  these  devoted  souls  was  of  the 
Fathers.    Women  as  well  as  men  had  to  be  restrained 
from  plunging  into  the  burning  building  to  rescue 
the   members   of   the   community.      Everyone   who 
could  be  of  any  material  assistance,  worked  with 
feverish  energy  to  save  whatever  was  possible.     The 
children,  the  aged,  and  the  infirm  knelt  in  the  garden, 
on  Bumstead  Lane,  and  on  the  ledge,  and  prayed 
aloud,  "  O  God  save  the  little  church!"  "  O  Mother  of 
Perpetual   Help,    save   the   Fathers."      Groups    of 
women  recited  the  Rosary  in  common  until  the  fire 
had  been  extinguished.    Had  it  been  their  own  houses 
that  were  burning,  these  noble  men  and  women  — 
scions  of  a  brave  and  generous  race  —  could  not  have 
done  more  than  they  did.     At  half  past  two  in  the 
morning,  the  flames  were  subdued,  but  not  until  the 
rectory  had  been  literally  flooded  with  water.    Thank 
God  and  His  Blessed  Mother,  however,   the  little 
church,  so  dear  to  everyone,  was  saved ! 


88         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

While  the  fire  was  at  its  height,  Father  Kuper 
ordered  one  of  the  firemen  to  play  the  hose  on  a  cer- 
tain spot.  The  answer,  brief  and  blunt,  was  "  Go 

to ."  In  an  instant  half  a  dozen  brawny  men  set 

upon  the  uncouth  fellow,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the 
merciful  interference  of  Father  Kuper,  they  might 
have  done  him  serious  personal  injury. 

The  fire  started  in  a  little  closet  or  storeroom  on 
the  first  floor,  and  destroyed  the  central  portion  of 
the  house  together  with  the  eastern  wing.  Fortu- 
nately, there  was  no  wind  to  fan  the  flames, 
otherwise  the  whole  house  and  the  church  also  might 
have  been  consumed.  The  origin  of  the  fire  was 
never  determined,  though  at  the  time  there  were 
strong  suspicions  that  it  was  the  work  of  an  incendi- 
ary, and  such  was  the  firm  belief  of  many  of  the 
people.  However,  it  is  quite  probable  that  it  was  due 
to  spontaneous  combustion.  The  only  one  to  sustain 
any  injury  was  Father  Miller,  who,  in  jumping  from 
a  window,  sprained  his  ankle. 

At  7  o'clock  the  next  morning,  one  of  the  Jesuit 
Fathers  of  Boston  College  called  at  the  rectory,  and 
invited  the  entire  community  to  take  up  their  resi- 
dence at  that  institution  for  as  long  a  time  as  they 
wished.  For  a  period  of  five  days.  Fathers  Mclner- 
ney,  Bausch,  John  Lowekamp,  and  John  Rebhan 
availed  themselves  of  the  kind  invitation.  Father 
Miller  stayed  one  week  at  the  house  of  a  nearby 
Catholic  family.  For  quite  a  long  time,  the  doors  of 
every  home  in  the  neighborhood  were  wide  open  to 
the  Fathers,  but  most  of  them  preferred  to  remain  at 
home,  and  there  make  the  best  of  their  lack  of 
accommodations. 

The  faithful  brought  to  the  rectory  articles  of  food 
and  clothing  in  abundance.  The  poorest  were  the 
most  generous.  Laboring  men,  widows,  servant- 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  89 

girls  who  lived  on  a  mere  pittance,  offered  the  Fath- 
ers five,  ten,  twenty,  and  even  fifty  dollars.  Father 
Stuhl,  who  at  the  time  wrote  an  account  of  the  fire, 
said:  "May  the  Redemptorists  of  Boston  never  for- 
get the  extraordinary  generosity  of  these  good  people, 
and  may  those  who  come  after  us  never  neglect  the 
poor  for  those  who  are  well-off  in  the  goods  of  this 
world." 

As  soon  as  the  turmoil  occasioned  by  the  fire  had 
subsided,  Father  Petsch  began  to  make  the  necessary 
repairs  and  alterations  to  the  building.  The  floors 
and  the  ceilings  which  had  been  damaged  were  quick- 
ly restored.  In  the  rear  of  the  house,  where  the  porch 
formerly  stood,  a  new  sacristy  was  built.  The  little 
church  was  moved  from  its  original  site  to  the  place 
previously  occupied  by  that  section  of  the  house  which 
had  been  destroyed  by  the  fire.  Father  Stuhl,  describ- 
ing the  moving,  says  with  a  fine  touch  of  humor: 
"It  was  wonderful  to  be  sitting  in  the  confessional 
and  listening  to  the  bedlam  of  noises  beneath  the 
church;  the  clanking  of  iron  bars,  the  grinding  of 
screws,  the  creaking  of  beams,  and  the  smothered 
sound  of  human  voices,  was  sufficient  to  frighten  any 
sinner  into  contrition."  Not  the  least  accident  hap- 
pened during  this  work;  but  when  the  old  sacristy 
was  being  demolished,  two  men  fell  a  distance  of 
about  20  feet.  Although  considerably  shaken  up, 
they  were  not  seriously  injured  and  were  able  to 
resume  work  shortly  afterwards. 

Father  Petsch  now  turned  his  attention  to  the  new 
church,  and  with  indomitable  energy,  lofty  courage 
and  sublime  confidence  sped  the  construction  from 
day  to  day.  His  overmastering  love  of  Our  Lady  of 
Perpetual  Help  made  him  almost  omnipresent.  He 
was  here,  there,  and  everywhere  else ;  guiding,  direct- 
ing, and  superintending  the  mighty  task  to  which  he 


90         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

had  dedicated  all  the  resources  of  his  mind  and  all 
the  powers  of  his  soul.  Under  his  keen  and  watchful 
eye,  the  mallets  and  the  chisels  sang  a  roundelay  in 
Mary's  honor,  and  the  gray  walls  of  the  majestic 
edifice  began  to  rise,  eagle-like,  towards  her  starry 
mansion.  As  time  went  on,  difficulties  presented 
themselves,  but  Father  Petsch  met  and  mastered 
them  successfully;  for  he  was  a  man  who  knew  how 
to  change  stumbling-blocks  into  stepping-stones.  As 
soon  as  the  building  was  under  roof,  the  nimble 
plasterer  hung  his  scaffold  in  the  dizzy  height  and 
merrily  plied  his  trade;  and  the  spry  carpenter,  rule 
and  level  in  hand,  hastened  from  vestibule  to  nave, 
from  nave  to  apse,  and  from  the  eastern  to  the 
western  transept;  everywhere  busy,  everywhere 
bringing  into  being  new  forms  of  beauty. 


THE  REV.  WILLIAM  LOWEKAMP,  C.  SS.R.,  RECTOR. 

In  July,  1877,  when  the  regular  triennial  appoint- 
ments of  Redemptorist  Superiors  were  made,  Father 
Petsch  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  William  Lowe- 
kamp,  C.  SS.  R.,  former  Superior  of  St.  Patrick's 
Church,  Quebec.  Father  Petsch,  however,  remained 
attached  to  the  Boston  Community,  and,  in  recogni- 
tion of  his  distinguished  services,  was  appointed  offi- 
cial Monitor  to  the  new  Rector. 

Father  Lowekamp,  a  priest  consumed  with  zeal  for 
the  honor  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  was  a 
worthy  successor  of  Father  Petsch,  whose  plans  he 
followed  in  the  construction  of  the  church.  As  the 
rough,  heavy  tasks  had  already  been  accomplished, 
he  was  able  to  proceed  without  setback  or  delay. 

The  first  assemblage  of  the  faithful  in  the  new 
church  was  held  August  15,  1877,  when  the  children 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN  91 

who  had  contributed  to  the  rose  window,  met  to 
receive  the  prizes  awarded  them  for  their  generous 
cooperation. 

Twelve  days  later  a  mission  for  the  children,  truly 
remarkable  in  its  results,  was  begun  in  the  old  church. 
At  every  exercise  nearly  1,400  were  present.  Many 
of  the  children  came  from  Cambridge,  Lynn,  and 
other  places  farther  away,  and  boarded  with  Catholic 
families  in  the  neighborhood  during  the  mission.  For 
two  days  seven  Fathers  were  kept  busy  hearing  their 
confessions.  The  general  communion  at  the  close  of 
the  exercises,  on  August  30,  was  a  beautiful  sight. 
The  parents  of  the  little  ones,  as  well  as  the  Fathers, 
took  the  keenest  interest  in  the  mission  and  spared 
no  pains  to  make  it  an  event  which  the  children 
would  remember  to  their  dying  day. 

On  December  2,  the  last  Sunday  Mass  was  cele- 
brated in  the  old  church.  It  was  a  Solemn  Mass  of 
thanksgiving  for  all  the  graces  bestowed  on  the 
people  within  those  sacred  precincts  so  dear  to  Our 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help.  A  sermon  in  harmony 
with  the  touching  occasion  was  preached,  and  the  edi- 
fice was  crowded  to  the  very  doors.  The  faithful  were 
loath  to  part  with  "  the  little  church  on  the  hill."  It 
was  the  light  of  their  eyes  and  the  delight  of  their 
hearts.  They  loved  it  with  a  deep  and  tender  love. 
They  loved  its  modest  portals.  They  loved  its  every 
beam  and  rafter.  They  loved  its  very  shadow,  as  it 
lengthened  in  the  gathering  dusk.  To  them  it  spoke 
with  thrilling  eloquence  of  the  better  land  and  the 
brighter  world,  where  the  Mother  of  Perpetual  Help 
is  Queen  forever.  The  sanctuary  rail  was  thronged 
with  loyal  sons  and  daughters  of  the  Mission  Church 
who  wished  to  receive  a  last  Holy  Communion  within 
the  holy  place  that  had  helped  to  brighten  and 
hallow  their  lives.  Before  leaving,  some  of  them 


kissed  again  and  again  the  floor,  the  walls,  and  the 
Communion  rail.  Others  hunted  for  souvenirs  and 
found  them.  Even  to  this  day  several  of  the  old 
families  guard  as  sacred  treasures  the  mementoes 
which  they  then  obtained.  Others  went  to  the  Fath- 
ers and  asked  if  it  were  possible  to  have  just  one  more 
Mass  said  in  the  old  church  before  it  would  be  aban- 
doned. On  all  sides  a  holy  sadness  was  visible,  a 
sadness  like  that  which  makes  the  heart  of  affection- 
ate children  sink,  when  for  the  last  time  they  look  on 
the  pallid  features  of  the  mother  they  revered  and 
adored. 

On  December  7,  confessions  were  heard  for  the  first 
time  in  the  basement  of  the  new  church.  The  follow- 
ing day,  the  glorious  Feast  of  the  Immaculate  Con- 
ception, the  first  Holy  Mass  was  said  there.  At  the 
same  time  the  wonder-working  Image  of  Our  Lady 
of  Perpetual  Help  was  transferred  to  its  new  abode. 
On  this  occasion  the  little  boys'  choir,  which  had  just 
been  organized,  gave  its  initial  performance.  The 
day  after,  the  relics  of  St.  Nazarius  was  borne  to  their 
temporary  repository,  beneath  the  high  altar  in  the 
basement. 

At  the  close  of  1877,  the  Mission  Church  had  fully 
justified  its  popular  name.  The  Chronicler  of  the 
community  wrote: 

"Our  labors  in  the  church  may  justly  be  called  a  per- 
petual mission  because  of  the  tremendous  crowds  who  come 
here,  because  of  the  immense  number  of  confessions  (espe- 
cially general  confessions)  we  hear,  and  because  of  our  con- 
stant labors  in  preaching  the  word  of  God.  Truly,  the  bless- 
ing of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  rests  visibly  on  the 
church." 

The  name  of  the  Mission  Church  had  become  as 
"oil  poured  out."  'Glorious  things  were  said  of 
her  —  this  city  of  God.'  'The  Lord  possessed  her 


THE  PURPLE  DAWN 


93 


in  the  beginnings  of  her  ways.'  '  He  that  is  mighty 
had  done  great  things  to  her.'  "Her  spirit  was 
sweeter  than  honey  and  her  heritage  than  the  honey- 
comb." Her  mercy  was  destined  to  extend  from 
generation  to  generation;  yet,  to  the  powers  of  dark- 
ness, she  was  to  be  for  all  time  as  "  terrible  as  an  army 
set  in  battle  array." 

But,  the  old  church  had  grown  into  the  new,  even 
as  the  purple  dawn  brightens  into  the  golden  sunrise. 


Ana 


MARY 


ARMY 


gram 


How  well  her  name  an  army  doth  present 
In  whom  the  Lord  of  Hosts  did  pitch  his  tent. 

— GEORGE  HERBERT. 


SECOND  PERIOD 
THE  GOLDEN  SUNRISE 

FROM  THE  DEDICATION  OF  THE  NEW 

CHURCH  TO  THE  ESTABLISHMENT 

OF  THE  PARISH 

1878-1883 


THE  GOLDEN  SUNRISE. 

"  Who  is  she  that  hath  gone  forth  like  the  sun,  and 
as  beautiful  as  Jerusalem?" — General  Office  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin  Mary. 


THE  DEDICATION  OF  THE  NEW 
CHURCH. 

On  Passion  Sunday,  April  7,  1878,  in  the  presence 
of  several  thousand  people,  the  magnificent  new 
Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  was  solemn- 
ly dedicated  by  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Williams. 

Promptly  at  ten  o'clock  the  procession,  composed 
of  the  altar-  and  the  choir-boys,  the  attendant 
clergy,  and  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop,  began  to  move 
round  the  church.  After  the  sprinkling  of  the  walls 
and  the  singing  of  the  prescribed  psalms,  His  Grace 
celebrated  Pontifical  Mass.  The  assistant  priest  was 
the  Rev.  John  Barry  of  Concord,  N.  H.,  Vicar  Gen- 
eral of  the  diocese  of  Portland ;  the  deacons  of  honor 
were  the  Rev.  W.  A.  Blenkinsop  of  Saints  Peter 
and  Paul's  Church,  S.  Boston,  and  the  Rev.  T.  H. 
Shahan  of  the  St.  James's  Church;  the  deacon  of  the 
Mass,  the  Rev.  James  E.  O'Brien  of  St.  Peter's 
Church,  Cambridge;  the  subdeacon,  the  Rev.  L.  J. 
Morris  of  Brookline;  the  master  of  ceremonies,  the 
Rev.  Theodore  A.  Metcalf,  Chancellor  'of  the 
Archdiocese, 


98         THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

"  Among  the  other  clergymen  present  were  the  Rt. 
Rev.  P.  T.  O'Reilly,  Bishop  of  Springfield,  Mass., 
with  the  Rev.  M.  Moran  of  St.  Stephen's,  Boston, 
and  the  Rev.  D.  O'Callaghan  of  St.  Augustine's,  S. 
Boston,  as  chaplains;  the  Very  Rev.  Elias  F. 
Schauer,  C.  SS.  R.,  the  Superior  of  the  Baltimore 
Province;  the  Rev.  Henry  Dauenhauer,  C.  SS.R.,  of 
Baltimore;  the  Rev.  Thaddeus  Anwander,  C.  SS.R., 
of  New  York;  the  Rev.  John  Lowekamp,  C.  SS.R., 
of  Annapolis,  Md.;  the  Rev.  Aegidius  Smulders, 
C.  SS.  R.,  of  St.  Louis;  the  Rev.  Theodore  Lamy, 
C.  SS.  R.,  and  the  Rev.  Frederick  Favre, 
C.  SS.  R.,  of  New  Orleans;  the  Rev.  Augustine 
Stuhl,  C.  SS.R..  of  Baltimore;  the  Rev.  William 
Lowekamp,  C.  SS.  R.,  the  Rev.  Augustine  Freitag, 
C.  SS.  R.,  the  Rev.  Leopold  Petsch,  C.  SS.  R.,  the 
Rev.  Louis  Dold,  C.  SS.  R.,  the  Rev.  Francis  Miller, 
C.  SS.  R.,  the  Rev.  Michael  Oates,  C.  SS.  R.,  the 
Rev.  Charles  Sigl,  C.  SS.  R.,  the  Rev.  Philip  Ross- 
bach,  C.  SS.R.,  and  the  Rev.  Peter  Bausch,  C.  SS.R., 
of  the  Mission  Church ;  the  Rev.  James  Fitton,  of  the 
Church  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer,  E.  Boston; 
the  Rev.  John  O'Brien,  of  E.  Cambridge,  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Magennis,  of  Jamaica  Plain;  the  Rev.  J. 
Delahunty,  of  St.  Francis  de  Sales'  Church,  High- 
lands; the  Rev.  Peter  Ronan,  of  St.  Peter's  Church, 
Dorchester;  the  Rev.  James  McGlew,  of  St.  Rose's 
Church,  Chelsea;  the  Rev.  John  D.  Tierney,  of  St. 
Francis  de  Sales'  Church,  Highlands;  the  Rev.  J. 
Dompieri,  S.  J.,  of  the  Church  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception;  the  Rev.  F.  X.  Nopper,  S.  J.,  of  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Trinity;  the  Rev.  W.  H.  Dun- 
can, S.  J.,  of  St.  Mary's  Church;  the  Rev.  J.  B. 
O'Hagan,  S.  J.,  president  of  Holy  Cross  College, 
Worcester;  the  Rev.  P.  H.  Toner,  S.  J.,  of  Boston 
College;  the  Rev.  J.  McGrath,  O.  M.  I.,  of  Lowell; 


REV.  WILLIAM  LOWER  AMP,  C.SS.R. 
Rector  18/7-1880.     Died  in  St.  Louis,  July  2Oth,  1899 


REV.  JOSEPH  'KENNING,  C.SS.R. 
Rector  1880-1887.     Died  in  New  York  City  July  3,  1912 


THE  GOLDEN  SUNRISE  99 

the  Rev.  Joachim  Geueniri,  O.  S.  F.,  of  St.  Leonard's 
Church;  the  Rev.  Vincent  Borgialli,  O.  S.  F.,  of  the 
Church  of  the  Gate  of  Heaven.  In  the  congregation 
were  many  prominent  citizens,  among  whom  was  His 
Excellency  Governor  Rice." 

The  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  James 
Fitton,  of  East  Boston,  the  oldest  priest  in  the  dio- 
cese, who  the  previous  December  had  celebrated  the 
Golden  Jubilee  of  his  ordination.  Referring  to  the 
marvelous  growth  of  Catholicity  in  Boston  within  his 
own  time  and  to  the  many  beautiful  edifices  recently 
erected  in  evidence  of  that  growth,  Father  Fitton 
said : 

"Another  grand  monument  of  Catholicity  in  Boston,  the 
Cradle  of  Liberty !  What  an  interesting  page  of  ecclesiasti- 
cal history  remains  to  be  written  of  this  Archdiocese,  aye, 
and  of  New  England !  What  extraordinary  revolution  does 
time  effect ! 

"How  short  the  time  is  since  a  Catholic  priest,  in  those 
days  termed  a  'popish'  priest,  would  scarcely  have  dared  to 
raise  his  voice  in  this  colony  of  Massachusetts.  Seventy-five 
years  ago,  the  first  Catholic  Church  was  erected  in  Boston, 
and  was  dedicated  by  Bishop  Carroll  of  Baltimore,  there 
being  then  only  two  priests  in  Boston,  Fathers  Matignon 
and  Cheverus.  Twenty-five  years  subsequently,  under  the 
administration  of  the  saintly  Bishop  Fenwick,  Saint  Mary's 
and  Saint  Patrick's  Churches  were  erected.  Look  around 
now !  In  the  place  of  one  small  church  of  seventy-five  years 
ago,  then  ample,  now  we  have  our  monumental  Cathedral, 
St.  Mary's,  Endicott  St.,  the  Immaculate  Conception,  St. 
James's,  St.  Stephen's,  St.  Patrick's,  Holy  Trinity,  SS. 
Peter  and  Paul's,  St.  Augustine's,  Gate  of  Heaven,  St.  Vin- 
cent's, St.  Joseph's,  St.  Francis  de  Sales',  Most  Holy  Re- 
deemer, the  Assumption,  Sacred  Heart,  Star  of  the  Sea,  St. 
John  Baptist's,  St.  Leonard's,  St.  Peter's,  and  the  magnifi- 
cent edifice,  a  gem  of  architecture,  and  a  masterpiece  of 
mechanism,  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  the  church  this  day 
dedicated  to  the  holy  service  of  Catholicity — and,  without 
enumerating  chapels,  all  erected  within  the  past  half  of  a 
century." 


100       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

After  mentioning  the  various  institutions  estab- 
lished by  the  Catholics  of  Boston  within  the  same 
period,  the  reverend  preacher  continued:  "Within  a 
stone's  throw  of  where  I  now  stand,  there  was  in  the 
days  of  my  boyhood,  one  of  those  red-painted  school 
houses,  in  which  I  learned  my  first  lesson  from  Lind- 
ley  Murray's  grammar.  On  the  spot  on  which  I  now 
stand,  or  near  it,  Washington  proclaimed  liberty  to 
every  son  of  Ireland,  of  France,  or  any  other  land  — 
a  happiness  which  we  now  enjoy."  After  drawing  a 
bright  picture  of  the  future  of  Catholicism  in  Boston, 
he  concluded  his  discourse  by  emphasizing  in  eloquent 
language  the  essential  grandeur  of  a  Catholic  Church 
as  the  Tabernacle  of  God  Himself. 

Under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Joseph  Kohler,  the 
choir  sang  Volger's  Mass,  with  the  Misses  M.  A. 
Murphy  and  T.  McAuley  as  sopranos;  Miss  Mary 
Callaghan,  alto;  Joseph  W.  Byrne,  tenor;  Abraham 
T.  Rogers,  bass;  assisted  by  a  chorus  of  twenty-five 
voices  and  sustained  by  the  organ,  at  which  Miss 
Nellie  McGowan  presided.  At  the  evening  exercises 
the  Rev.  Robert  Fulton,  S.  J.,  preached.  The  music 
was  plain  Gregorian  chant  sung  by  a  chorus  of  sixty 
boys  and  girls. 

Description  of  the  Church  in  1878. 

The  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  is  a 
Romanesque  structure  built  of  Roxbury  pudding- 
stone  trimmed  with  Quincy  granite.  It  is  cruciform 
in  plan,  with  a  vestibule,  nave,  two  aisles,  and  tran- 
sept. The  nave  terminates  in  a  semicircular  apse;  at 
the  western  end  of  the  transept,  there  is  another 
apse,  but  of  smaller  dimensions. 

As  the  church  stands  fifty  feet  back  of  the  building 
line,  the  observer  gets  a  clear  view  of  the  exterior, 


THE  GOLDEN  SUNRISE  101 

the  dominating  feature  of  which  is  the  octagonal- 
shaped  dome  raised  over  the  crossing  of  the  nave  and 
the  transept.  The  dome,  whose  inner  diameter  is 
forty  feet,  is  surmounted  by  a  gilded  cross,  which 
rises  165  feet  above  the  ground.  The  three  principal 
entrances  are  in  the  gable  end  wall  of  the  nave,  facing 
Tremont  Street.  On  the  east  and  west  sides,  there 
are  two  additional  entrances  leading  into  the  transept. 

The  ceiling  of  the  vestibule  has  a  groined-vaulted 
appearance ;  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  vestibule  is  the 
baptistry;  at  the  western,  the  stairs  leading  to  the 
organ  loft,  and  the  passageway  to  the  rectory. 

On  entering  the  nave  from  the  vestibule,  the  ob- 
server is  struck  with  surprise  at  the  slenderness  of  the 
columns  supporting  the  whole  upper  structure. 
These  columns,  five  distributed  on  each  side  and  four 
clustered  at  the  crossing  of  the  nave  and  the  transept, 
have  bases  and  capitals  of  fine-grained  sandstone  of 
warm  grayish  color,  and  shafts  constructed  of  a  single 
piece  of  polished  granite,  twenty-one  inches  in 
diameter  and  fourteen  feet  in  height.  The  color  of 
the  shafts  is  very  dark  gray  alternating  with  red. 
The  carving  of  the  capitals  is  rich  and  bold;  each 
bears  the  symbols  of  the  four  Evangelists.  The  strong 
heavy  abacus  —  so  characteristic  of  the  style  —  ex- 
presses well  the  ability  of  the  capitals  to  support  the 
great  weight  imposed  on  them.  Arches  with  deep 
soffits,  and  mouldings  at  the  edges,  stretch  from 
column  to  column  supporting  the  walls  of  the  nave 
and  clerestory.  On  the  face  of  the  nave  wall,  over 
each  column,  is  a  circular  wall-shaft  with  ornamental 
capitals,  which  receive  the  transverse  arches  and  ribs 
of  the  vaulting  and  divide  the  nave  into  bays.  In 
each  bay,  above  the  arches  over  the  columns,  the  nave 
wall  is  pierced  with  triple  openings  which  have  semi- 
circular tops,  columns  and  pilasters:  through  these 


openings  the  observer  gets  a  glimpse  into  the  trifo- 
rium.  Above  the  openings,  are  ranged  the  clerestory 
mullion  windows,  which,  with  their  simple  Roman- 
esque tracery  in  the  upper  part,  admit  a  flood  of  light 
into  the  nave. 

The  design  of  the  triforium  is  carried  around  the 
side  walls  of  the  transept  and  of  the  apse;  thus  are 
formed  niches  with  flat  walls.  The  transept  gable 
walls  and  the  nave  gable  wall  have  rose  windows  of 
Romanesque  design. 

The  bays  of  the  aisles  have  a  groined-vaulted-ceil- 
ing  effect,  with  transverse  arches  and  diagonal  ribs. 
The  walls  are  pierced  with  mullion-windows  adorned 
with  simple  tracery  in  the  upper  parts.  Under  these 
windows,  are  the  ten  confessionals;  they  are  of  black 
polished  walnut  and  are  partly  recessed  into  the  walls. 

The  walls  of  the  octagonal  dome  rest  on  the  four 
arches  spanning  nave  and  transept,  and  on  the 
pendentives  which  serve  as  a  medium  for  the  trans- 
formation of  the  square  form  into  the  octagonal. 
The  ceiling  of  the  dome  also,  has  the  form  of  a  groined 
vault;  the  gallery  of  the  dome  is  furnished  with  har- 
moniously proportioned  double  openings  with  semi- 
circular tops.  Columns  and  pilasters  run  round  the 
base  of  the  dome.  Above  the  gallery,  in  each  bay, 
is  a  rose  window  of  simple  design.  In  the  angles  of 
the  octagon,  are  placed  circular  shafts  resting  on 
ornamental  brackets,  and  surmounted  by  capitals 
which  receive  the  ribs  of  the  dome  vault. 

By  the  substitution  of  granite  columns  for  the 
heavy  piers  of  masonry  common  to  most  Roman- 
esque churches,  the  architect  succeeded  in  giving  to 
the  congregation  an  almost  unobstructed  view  of  the 
altars  and  of  the  pulpit,  while  preserving  in  the  treat- 
ment of  the  bases  and  of  the  capitals  the  essential 
character  of  the  style. 


THE  GOLDEN  SUNRISE  103 

In  the  northwestern  corner  of  the  cross  formed  by 
the  plan  of  the  church,  are  the  sacristies,  with  a  stair- 
case connecting  the  upper  and  lower  church. 

The  principal  dimensions  of  the  church  are  as 
follows:  Total  length,  214  feet;  width,  82  feet;  ex- 
treme width  of  transept,  119  feet;  clear  width  of  nave 
and  of  transept,  38  feet;  of  aisles,  17  feet.  The 
interior  heights  are:  Nave  and  transept,  from  floor 
to  apex  of  ceiling,  67  feet ;  in  the  aisles,  32  feet ;  from 
floor  to  ceiling  of  dome,  110  feet.  The  granite  col- 
umns are  21  feet  6  inches  from  floor  to  top  of  abacus, 
and  the  springing-line  of  the  vaulting  of  the  nave 
ceiling  is  47  feet  above  the  floor.  The  aisle- windows 
are  11  feet  from  the  floor,  and  are  15  feet  high  and  5 
feet  wide.  The  clerestory  windows  are  49  feet  from 
the  floor,  12  feet  high  and  6  feet  6  inches  wide. 

There  are  seven  altars:  The  High  Altar,  which  is 
situated  in  the  semicircular  apse  in  which  the  nave 
terminates;  the  altar  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 
Help  or  the  Shrine,  in  the  smaller  apse  at  the  west- 
ern end  of  the  transept;  and  the  altars  of  the  Sacred 
Heart,  the  Holy  Family,  St.  Joseph,  St.  Patrick, 
and  St.  Alphonsus,  distributed  on  both  sides. 

The  beauty  and  gracefulness  of  the  architectural 
lines,  when  considered  in  connection  with  the  spiritual 
wealth  of  which  the  church  is  the  visible  symbol  and 
repository,  fling  round  the  beholder  a  mystic  spell 
which  eludes  and  defies  the  power  of  words.  The 
charm  felt  is  of  that  subtle  and  sublimated  character 
which  is  too  deep  and  too  vast  in  its  sacred  influences 
to  be  contracted  within  the  narrow  limits  of  halting 
and  feeble  human  language.  The  only  adequate  and 
correct  interpreter  of  the  beauty  of  the  edifice,  is  the 
pure  heart  filled  with  love  of  Our  Blessed  Mother, 
and  the  soul  lifted  up  by  prayer  above  the  sordid 
things  of  earth  and  transported  to  the  regions  where 
dwells  the  Queen  of  Beauty. 


104       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

On  Friday,  June  28,  the  Feast  of  the  Sacred 
Heart,  Holy  Mass  was  celebrated  for  the  first  time 
at  the  corresponding  altar.  The  number  of  Holy 
Communions  eclipsed  all  previous  records  for  a  week 
day.  The  following  month  the  two  temporary  altars 
of  the  Holy  Family  and  of  St.  Patrick  were  dedicated 
to  divine  service. 

For  a  few  months  after  the  new  church  had  been 
opened,  the  old  church  remained  where  it  had  been 
moved  subsequently  to  the  fire;  but  on  August  22, 
the  steeple  was  torn  down,  and  the  remainder  of  the 
building  was  swung  round  to  the  right  and  joined  to 
the  rectory,  of  which  it  then  became  part.  This 
annex  was  so  remodelled  as  to  afford  room  for  a  com- 
munity chapel  and  several  living  apartments.  Be- 
tween the  rectory  thus  constituted  and  the  church,  a 
covered  passageway  was  built. 

The  Feast  of  the  Nativity  of  Our  Blessed  Lady, 
1878,  is  memorable  as  the  day  on  which  the  first  Mass 
at  the  Shrine  was  said.  The  celebrant  was  the 
designer  of  the  altar,  the  Rev.  Louis  Dold,  C.  SS.  R., 
a  member  of  the  community.  Father  Dold  devised 
the  plans  for  the  High  Altar  also,  and  the  altars  of  the 
Sacred  Heart,  of  the  Holy  Family,  and  of  St.  Pat- 
rick. A  little  later  he  designed  and  built  the  beautiful 
marble  pulpit,  which  to  this  day  adorns  the  church. 
The  manifold  parts,  which  he  had  obtained  from  24 
marble-dealers,  Protestant  as  well  as  Catholic,  in 
New  York  and  in  Boston,  he  constructed  with  his 
own  hands.  The  pulpit  is  composed  of  varicolored 
marbles  and  built  along  devotional  as  well  as 
aesthetic  lines.  The  face  presents  six  panels  on  which 
are  engraved  symbols  expressive  of  various  points  of 
Catholic  doctrine.  The  Eternity  of  God  is  typified 
by  the  Greek  letters,  "  Alpha  and  Omega";  the  teach- 
ing office  of  the  church,  by  the  open  Bible  and  the 


THE  GOLDEN  SUNRISE  105 

two  tablets  of  the  law;  the  Primacy  of  the  Pope,  by 
the  tiara  and  the  keys ;  and  the  victory  of  the  martyrs, 
by  a  sword,  a  dagger,  and  a  torch.  On  November 
24,  Father  Dold  had  the  honor  of  preaching  the  first 
sermon  from  the  pulpit. 

On  Sunday,  December  1,  just  at  the  beginning  of 
the  Advent  season,  the  first  mission  in  the  new  church 
was  inaugurated.  The  sacred  crusade  was  conducted 
by  the  Rev.  Fathers  Lowekamp,  Freitag,  Dold, 
Petsch,  Wissel,  Burke,  Rossbach,  Oates,  Bausch, 
Trimpel,  and  Kolb;  all  of  whom,  Father  Burke  ex- 
cepted,  were  members  of  the  Boston  Community. 
About  2,000  people  attended  the  formal  opening, 
which  took  place  with  fitting  solemnities  at  the  High 
Mass.  In  the  evening,  more  than  2,300  women  were 
present.  While  the  women's  mission  was  in  progress, 
the  Very  Rev.  Father  Provincial,  Elias  Frederick 
Schauer,  C.  SS.  R.,  a  flaming  torch  of  apostolic  zeal, 
arrived  from  Quebec.  On  seeing  the  tremendous 
crowds,  he  became  so  enthusiastic  that  he  took  his 
place  in  the  confessional,  and  heard  until  the  close  of 
the  women's  mission.  As  many  as  4,100  women  made 
the  mission. 

The  men's  mission,  which  began  December  11,  was 
marked  by  extraordinary  manifestations  of  faith  and 
fervor.  3,100  confessions  were  heard,  74  men  re- 
ceived their  first  Communion,  and  6  converts  were 
left  under  instruction.  The  large  Crucifix,  bearing 
the  date,  December  22,  1878,  which  to  this  day  one 
sees  affixed  to  the  western  wall  of  the  vestibule,  was 
erected  as  a  perpetual  memorial  of  this  mission. 

About  4  P.  M.  July  16,  1879,  a  disastrous  tornado 
swept  over  the  city.  The  rose  window  of  the  western 
transept  and  several  other  windows  on  the  same  side 
of  the  church  and  in  the  dome,  were  badly  damaged. 
The  confessionals  on  the  Gospel  side  were  flooded 


106       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

with  water,  while  terror-stricken  penitents  clamored 
for  absolution,  as  if  at  the  point  of  death.  The  light- 
ning struck  in  several  places  in  the  neighborhood;  a 
great  many  vessels  in  the  harbor  were  wrecked;  and 
more  than  fifty  corpses  were  washed  ashore  next 
morning. 

On  December  14,  1879,  for  the  first  time  in  the 
history  of  the  church,  a  newly  ordained  priest,  the 
Rev.  John  A.  B.  Conroy,  celebrated  his  First  Holy 
Mass.  He  was  born  in  this  city,  and  was  graduated 
from  St.  Mary's  School  in  the  North  End.  He  then 
entered  Boston  College,  where,  being  both  studious 
and  talented,  he  always  stood  high  in  his  class. 
Subsequently,  he  was  admitted  to  St.  Francis' 
Seminary,  Milwaukee,  where  he  was  ordained  for  the 
diocese  of  La  Crosse  by  its  Bishop,  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Michael  Heiss.  As  Father  Conroy  in  his  student 
days  had  been  a  familiar  figure  around  the  Mission 
Church,  his  First  Mass  was  very  well  attended. 

The  energetic  Father  Dold,  who  was  always  evolv- 
ing new  schemes  to  add  to  the  beauty  of  Our  Blessed 
Mother's  temple,  determined,  early  in  1880,  to  pro- 
cure marble  steps  for  the  pulpit  which  he  had  erected. 
For  this  purpose  he  wrote  to  his  sister  in  Belgium, 
who  was  in  comfortable  circumstances,  to  solicit  her 
aid  and  cooperation.  He  received  a  prompt  reply 
in  the  shape  of  1,500  francs,  which  sum  enabled  him 
to  achieve  his  project.  The  steps  were  built  in  the 
spring,  and  gave  to  the  pulpit  an  added  air  of  solidity 
and  stability.  Smitten  with  love  of  Our  Lady  of 
Perpetual  Help,  he  could  not  rest  until  he  had  done 
everything  possible  to  enhance  the  splendors  of  the 
church.  His  fine  perception  of  the  fitness  of  things 
suggested  to  him  that  the  side  altars  in  the  sanctuary 
looked  rather  bare  and  were  susceptible  of  much 
adornment.  From  the  Rev.  Father  Rector  of  the 


THE  GOLDEN  SUNRISE  107 

Church  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer,  N.  Y.,  he  pro- 
cured two  tabernacles,  which  he  set  up  with  his  own 
hands.  He  made  elegant  frames  for  the  two  large 
paintings  of  St.  Joseph  and  of  St.  Alphonsus,  which 
graced  their  respective  altars.  When  his  keen  sense 
of  proportion  dictated  to  him  that  the  candlesticks 
were  too  small  for  the  altars,  he  set  his  busy  brain  and 
deft  hands  to  work;  and  in  a  short  time  we  had  on 
each  of  the  altars  in  the  sanctuary  six  large  wooden 
candlesticks  cleverly  turned,  carved,  and  bronzed. 
His  next  move  was  to  procure  new  frames  for  the 
Stations  of  the  Cross.  We  ordinary  mortals  should 
have  considered  them  in  perfect  keeping  with  the 
other  appointments  of  the  church,  but  to  a  man  of  his 
highly-developed  artistic  taste,  they  did  not  appear 
fully  worthy  of  the  stately  edifice.  With  all  the  skill 
of  a  master,  he  fashioned  frames  which  harmonized 
nicely  with  the  whole  architectural  scheme. 

Father  Dold  was  a  man  of  rare  attainments.  He 
was  not  only  a  fervent  priest  and  a  zealous  mission- 
ary but  also  a  skilled  mechanic,  a  gifted  artist,  and 
an  accomplished  linguist.  His  versatile  talents, 
moreover,  were  sharpened  and  refined  by  extensive 
travel  and  wide  reading.  To  him  the  lovers  of  the 
Mission  Church  owe  a  lasting  debt  of  gratitude  for 
his  noble  exertions  to  heighten  her  beauty.  His  activi- 
ties in  this  direction  ceased  only  when  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  other  fields. 


THE  REV.  JOSEPH  HENNING,  C.  SS.  R., 
BECOMES  RECTOR. 

In  July,  1880,  the  Rev.  William  Lowekamp  was 
succeeded  as  Rector  by  the  Rev.  Joseph  Henning, 
former  Superior  of  St.  Patrick's  Church,  Quebec. 


108       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Father  Lowekamp,  during  his  three  years  in 
office,  finished  the  church,  enlarged  the  rectory,  and 
greatly  beautified  the  community  garden.  By  his 
kindly  manner  and  deep  solicitude  for  those  com- 
mitted to  his  care,  he  endeared  himself  to  his  brethren 
in  religion  and  to  the  people.  With  the  good  wishes 
and  prayers  of  all,  he  left  Boston,  July  14,  for  Que- 
bec, where  he  was  to  take  Father  Henning's  place. 

With  the  advent  of  Father  Henning,  the  curtain 
rose  on  the  golden  age  of  eloquence  in  the  Mission 
Church.  By  common  consent  he  was  a  pulpit-  and 
platform-orator  de  luxe  and  naturally  his  sermons 
and  lectures  drew  great  crowds.  One  such  lecture, 
delivered  in  the  basement  of  the  church,  March  20, 
1881,  had  for  its  subject  "The  Great  Grievance  of 
Ireland."  The  house  was  thronged  with  passionate 
lovers  of  the  Emerald  Isle  —  the  Niobe  that  weeps 
by  the  sounding  sea.  Father  Henning,  of  course,  did 
not  stoop  to  any  cheap  oratorical  tricks ;  yet  he  played 
on  the  emotions  of  his  hearers  as  a  skilful  harpist 
sweeps  his  strings.  He  had  his  audience  swaying 
between  tears  and  cheers.  At  one  moment  they  sat 
in  pensive  silence,  mourning  over  the  seven  bitter 
centuries  of  bloody  persecution ;  at  the  next,  they  were 
on  their  feet,  hailing  with  rapturous  delight  the  bliss- 
ful day  when  the  old  land  shall  be  governed  by  the 
ballots  of  freemen,  not  by  the  bayonets  of  the  oppres- 
sor; when  Right  shall  succeed  Might;  and  when  the 
morning  sunbeams  shall  caress  the  glorious  banner 
of  Ireland  free  and  independent. 

On  the  Feast  of  Pentecost,  1881,  the  following 
announcement  was  made  from  the  pulpit :  "  On  the 
Sunday  after  Trinity  Sunday,  June  19,  the  Rev. 
John  J.  Frawley,  C.  SS.  R.,  who  will  be  raised  to  the 
priesthood  in  our  Order  next  Sunday,  will  celebrate 
his  first  Mass  in  this  church.  We  know  that  you  will 


THE  GOLDEN  SUNRISE  109 

all  take  part  in  the  joy  of  this  day,  as  the  young  cele- 
brant is  a  child  of  this  church,  and,  I  may  say,  one  of 
your  own." 

The  day  dawned  bright  and  beautiful — an  ideal 
day  for  so  gladsome  an  event.  Promptly  at  10 
o'clock  Father  Frawley,  assisted  by  Father  O'Brien 
as  deacon  and  Father  Kreis  as  subdeacon,  began  the 
celebration  of  Holy  Mass.  The  high  altar  was  ablaze 
with  a  myriad  of  lights  and  bedecked  with  a  rich 
profusion  of  flowers.  The  church  was  packed  with 
relatives,  friends,  and  boyhood  companions  of  the 
young  priest,  who,  after  years  of  absence,  had  come 
back  to  them  again,  crowned  with  the  honor  and  glory 
of  the  eternal  priesthood.  Father  Hennlng  preached 
on  the  sublime  dignity  of  the  priesthood,  its  marvel- 
ous powers,  and  its  tremendous  responsibilities.  In 
his  peroration  he  made  a  fervid  appeal  to  the  con- 
gregation to  pray  for  the  success  and  perseverance 
of  the  newly  ordained  priest. 

In  the  afternoon  Father  Frawley  was  celebrant  at 
the  Solemn  Procession  in  honor  of  the  Blessed  Sac- 
rament, the  day  being  the  Sunday  within  the  octave 
of  Corpus  Christi.  More  than  2,000  of  the  faithful 
were  in  line,  of  whom  1,200  were  members  of  the 
Holy  Family  Association.  The  crowd  of  spectators 
was  so  large  that  15  policemen  were  on  hand  to  pre- 
serve order,  but  the  only  thing  they  had  to  do  was 
to  admire  the  faith  and  devotion  of  the  people.  A 
special  musical  program  with  a  highly  artistic  flavor 
was  rendered.  The  day  was  one  of  unalloyed  happi- 
ness for  Father  Frawley,  who  was  No.  1  among  many 
newly  ordained  Redemptorists  who  have  said  their 
first  Mass  at  the  Mission  Church. 

The  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Gross,  C.  SS.  R.,  of  Savan- 
nah, came  to  Boston,  July  20,  1882,  in  order  to  spend 
a  few  days  with  the  Fathers.  It  goes  without  saying 


110       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

that  he  received  a  most  hearty  welcome,  and  that  his 
visit  was  a  source  of  genuine  pleasure.  His  merry 
laugh,  his  keen  wit,  and  his  fine  courtesy  delight- 
fully beguiled  the  passing  hours.  The  following  Sun- 
day, the  23d,  he  preached  at  the  High  Mass.  The  an- 
nouncement to  that  effect  drew  a  great  crowd  to  the 
church  long  before  the  appointed  hour.  His  Lordship, 
in  pontificals,  preceded  by  the  cross-bearer,  twenty 
sanctuary  boys,  and  the  Fathers  of  the  community, 
marched  from  the  front  door  of  the  rectory  to  the 
main  entrance  of  the  church,  where  a  large  delegation 
of  the  men's  Holy  Family  Society  knelt  to  receive 
his  blessing.  The  Mass  was  sung  by  the  Rev. 
Augustine  J.  Weisser,  C.  SS.  R.,  of  New  York.  The 
Bishop,  who  occupied  an  improvised  throne  on  the 
Epistle  side  of  the  sanctuary,  was  attended  by  the 
Rev.  Fathers  Gates  and  Schmidt,  members  of  the 
community,  as  deacons  of  honor.  He  took  for  his 
text  the  wor<Js  of  the  Archangel  Gabriel  to  Our 
Blessed  Lady,  "Hail,  full  of  grace!"  With  all  his 
old  charm  and  all  the  old  wealth  of  his  love  for  Mary, 
he  spoke  of  her  transcendent  greatness  and  of  the 
sublime  encomium  bestowed  on  her  in  the  exultant 
greeting  of  the  Archangel,  a  greeting  that  sprang 
not  from  enthusiasm,  but  from  the  inspiration  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Those  words  of  the  celestial  messenger 
proved  her  real  intrinsic  holiness  and  her  worthiness 
of  the  unique  honor  conferred  on  her.  She  it  was, 
Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  who  had  lavished  so 
many  favors  on  the  Mission  Church,  and  who,  since 
his  last  visit  to  Boston,  had  enabled  her  devoted  serv- 
ants, the  Redemptorist  Fathers,  to  erect  this  magni- 
ficent cathedral,  as  he  might  justly  call  it.  He 
concluded  his  sermon  by  exhorting  his  hearers  to 
cherish  a  tender  and  childlike  devotion  to  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  especially  under  the  title  of  Our  Lady  of 


THE  GOLDEN  SUNRISE  111 

Perpetual  Help.  When  the  Bishop  was  passing  out 
of  the  church  after  Mass,  an  edifying  incident 
occurred:  a  horsecar  crowded  with  passengers 
approached  the  church;  the  driver,  on  catching  a 
glimpse  of  the  Bishop,  at  once  stopped  his  car,  and, 
though  the  conductor  pulled  the  bell  vigorously  for 
him  to  go  on,  would  not  start  it  again,  until  on 
bended  knee  he  had  received  the  prelate's  blessing, 
which  was  cordially  given. 

The  same  evening,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop,  drawing 
inspiration  from  the  parable  of  the  unjust  steward, 
preached  on  "  The  Value  of  Time."  On  July  27, 
followed  by  a  thousand  benedictions,  he  left  for 
New  York. 

A  mammoth  fair  for  the  benefit  of  the  church  was 
opened  in  the  basement,  March  26,  1883.  The  first 
night,  the  Adjutant  General  of  the  Governor  with 
his  staff,  Mayor  Palmer,  and  several  other  gentlemen 
prominent  in  the  official  life  of  the  State  and  the  city 
were  present.  Had  not  a  previous  engagement  of  a 
pressing  nature  necessitated  his  absence,  the  Gover- 
nor himself  would  have  attended.  Father  Henning 
made  the  opening  address,  and  his  appropriate  re- 
marks won  the  admiration  and  enlisted  the  enthusi- 
astic cooperation  of  his  audience.  The  Adjutant 
General,  in  the  name  of  the  Governor,  then  spoke 
briefly,  after  which  Mayor  Palmer  delivered  a  very 
appreciative  speech.  With  evident  sincerity,  he 
praised  the  work  which  the  Fathers  were  doing,  and 
pointed  out  that  the  Mission  Church  had  become  a 
mighty  force  for  good  not  only  in  the  religious  but 
also  in  the  civic  life  of  Boston.  The  fair  lasted  a 
whole  month,  and  received  so  much  newspaper  notice 
that  enormous  crowds  attended  it,  and,  pleased  with 
its  novel  and  ingenious  attractions,  showed  the 
greatest  generosity. 


112       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Within  five  years  after  the  dedication  of  the 
church,  the  Catholic  population  of  Roxbury  had  in- 
creased by  leaps  and  bounds.  Almost  over  night, 
new  houses  sprang  up  in  all  sections  of  the  district. 
As  if  by  magic  the  country  aspect  of  the  place 
changed,  and  it  began  to  assume  the  appearance  of  a 
populous  city. 

A  new  era  was  about  to  dawn  for  the  Mission 
Church.  She  was  soon  to  witness  a  marvelous  expan- 
sion of  her  activities,  as  when  the  sun  fully  risen 
grows  in  splendor  as  it  mounts  the  heavens,  and  the 
broad  light  of  day  floods  every  hill  and  dale,  and 
quickens  into  fuller  energy  every  living  thing  on 
earth.  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  was  preparing 
fresh  triumphs  for  the  sanctuary  so  dear  to  Her,  and 
"  The  Glories  of  Mary  in  Boston,"  were  about  to  take 
on  that  dazzling  lustre  which  befits  Her  whom  Holy 
Church  salutes  as  "  House  of  Gold." 

Nor  Bethlehem  nor  Nazareth 

Apart  from  Mary's  care, 
Nor  Heaven  itself  a  home  for  Him, 

Were  not  His  Mother  there. 

— REY.  JOHN  B.  TABB. 


THIRD  PERIOD 
THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR 

FROM  THE  ESTABLISHMENT  OF  THE 
PARISH  TO  THE  PRESENT  TIME 

1883-1921 


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SACRED  HEART  ALTAR 


THE   GROWING    SPLENDOR. 

"  I  made  that  in  the  heavens  there  should  rise  light 
that  never  faileth."  (Ecclesiasticus,  24:6) — Office 
for  the  Feast  of  the  Immaculate  Conception. 


THE   ESTABLISHMENT   OF   THE 
PARISH 

On  April  6,  1883,  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Wil- 
liams accorded  the  Mission  Church  the  full  rank  of 
a  parish  church. 

4  When  the  district  surrounding  the  church  had 
become  thickly  populated,  whereas  the  people  could 
not  receive  all  the  necessary  spiritual  assistance 
from  the  Mission  Church,  as  it  was  not  a  parish 
church,  His  Grace  Archbishop  Williams,  recogniz- 
ing the  need  of  such  a  church  in  the  vicinity, 
proposed  to  the  Fathers  the  erection  of  their  church 
into  a  regular  canonical  parish.  The  proposition 
was  received  with  favor  by  the  Fathers,  who,  on 
April  8,  1883,  announced  to  the  people  the  limits  of 
the  parish  and  forthwith  took  their  entire  spiritual 
care  into  their  hands  "  (Catholic  Church  of  New 
England,  Archdiocese  of  Boston,  Parish  of  Our 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  p.  162). 

The  Mission  Church  Parish  was  formed  from  St. 
Francis  de  Sales',  Roxbury,  St.  Mary's,  Brookline, 
and  St.  Thomas',  Jamaica  Plain. 

It  must  be  clearly  understood  that  after  the 
Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  had  been 
placed  on  a  parochial  basis,  it  did  not  by  any  means 


116       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

cease  to  be  a  mission  center;  on  the  contrary,  the 
work  of  giving  missions  was  prosecuted  with  the 
same  zeal  as  theretofore. 

A  few  weeks  after  the  establishment  of  the  parish, 
the  welcome  news  was  received  that  His  Holiness 
Pope  Leo  XIII  had  granted  to  those  who  should 
pray  before  the  seven  altars  in  the  Mission  Church, 
during  the  month  of  May,  the  same  indulgences  that 
could  be  gained  by  visiting  the  seven  altars  in  St. 
Peters'  Church  in  Rome.  The  prayers  were  to  be 
said  for  the  intention  of  the  Holy  Father,  and  the 
indulgences  might  be  gained  as  often  as  the  visits 
were  made.  With  pious  avidity,  the  faithful  availed 
themselves  of  this  fine  opportunity  of  partaking  of 
the  Church's  rich  spiritual  treasures;  and  the  gra- 
cious concession  of  the  great  Pontiff  served  wonder- 
fully to  stimulate  the  devotion  of  the  Catholic  masses 
of  Boston  to  the  thrice  Blessed  Mother  of  God. 
More  than  ever,  the  Mission  Church  became  the 
haven  and  home  of  those  who  sought  surcease  of  sor- 
row and  freedom  from  sin  at  the  feet  of  Her  who  has 
never  been  invoked  in  vain.  Every  day  from  morn- 
ing till  night,  loving  children  of  the  Mother  of 
Mercy  could  be  seen  making  the  rounds  of  the  altars. 

About  the  middle  of  June,  an  able  sculptor  began 
the  work  of  carving  above  the  main  entrance  of  the 
church  a  beautiful  bas-relief  representing  Our  Lady 
of  Perpetual  Help  bearing  the  Divine  Infant  in  her 
arms,  with  the  Archangel  Gabriel  on  the  right  and 
the  Archangel  Michael  on  the  left,  exhibiting  to 
the  frightened  Child  the  instruments  of  His  future 
Passion.  The  work  was  done  under  peculiar 
difficulties,  and  its  clever  execution  was  a  clear  proof 
of  the  genius  of  the  artist. 

On  Sunday,  Sept.  23,  the  Rev.  John  B.  Daily, 
C.  SS.  R.,  of  Danvers,  Mass.,  celebrated  his  first 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  117 

Mass  at  the  Mission  Church.  He  was  assisted  by 
the  Rev.  Eugene  Walsh,  C.  SS.  R.,  as  deacon,  and 
the  Rev.  Patrick  McGivern,  C.  SS.  R.,  as  sub- 
deacon.  The  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  John 
O'Brien,  C.  SS.  R.  Father  Daily  was  ordained  the 
day  before  at  the  Redemptorist  Seminary,  Ilchester, 
Md.,  by  Hjs  Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons,  at  that 
time  Archbishop. 

When  Pope  Leo  XIII  of  blessed  memory  issued, 
in  1883,  the  first  of  his  luminous  encyclicals  on  the 
Devotion  of  the  Rosary,  Father  Henning  made  use 
of  the  occasion  to  fan  into  brighter  flame  the  love  of 
the  people  for  Our  Blessed  Lady.  Every  evening 
during  October,  he  himself  preached  on  some  phase 
of  her  sublime  dignity  and  exalted  prerogatives. 
The  result  was  highly  gratifying.  His  eloquent 
sermons,  full  of  childlike  confidence  in  the  Holy 
Virgin,  acted  like  a  heavenly  magnet  in  attracting 
hearts  to  Her.  At  all  hours  of  the  day,  the  church 
was  frequented  by  the  devout  faithful,  who  knelt 
before  her  altar  and  recited  the  Rosary.  Not  only 
that,  but  there  was  also  a  marked  increase  in  the 
attendance  at  the  week-day  Masses  and  in  the  num- 
ber of  Communions.  Several  non-Catholics,  more- 
over, made  inquiries  about  the  teaching  of  the  Church 
concerning  the  Mother  of  Jesus,  and  asked  how  they 
might  obtain  her  powerful  patronage  under  the  title 
of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help. 

The  ever  -  growing  charm  which  the  Mission 
Church  exercised  over  the  people  of  Boston,  is 
reflected  in  an  article  which  appeared  in  the  Catholic 
Herald  about  the  beginning  of  December,  1883. 
Under  the  caption,  "  A  Visit  to  the  Church  of  Our 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,"  the  writer  said: 


118       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

"Saturday  morning  was  cold  and  dull,  with  a  drizzling 
rain.  The  sky  was  dark  with  clouds,  and  altogether  the 
morning  was  uninviting,  especially  to  the  aged  and  feeble. 

"In  the  Mission  Church  in  Boston  Highlands — the  Church 
of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help — all  was  warm,  bright, 
beautiful  and  inviting.  That  glorious  pile  of  Roman  archi- 
tecture was  full  of  life,  while  a  summer  atmosphere  swept 
through  chancel,  aisle  and  nave.  The  church  was  thronged 
with  devout  worshippers  as  early  as  half-past  five  o'clock. 
Think  of  it !  While  Boston  had  barely  arisen  from  its  bed, 
ere  the  tireless  stir  and  worry  and  noise  and  jostling  of  the 
day  had  begun  with  all  its  sorrow,  sin  and  misery,  this  great 
church  was  filled  with  great  throngs  of  people,  but  the  altar 
dedicated  to  her  who  is  venerated  as  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 
Help  was  most  thronged  of  all.  ...  A  visit  to  the  Church 
of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  can  be  made  most  profit- 
able." 

On  the  Feast  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  a 
magnificent  new  chalice  was  used  for  the  first  time. 
It  had  been  presented  to  the  church  in  September  by 
a  group  of  loyal  clients  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  The 
cup  was  of  pure  gold,  the  base  and  stem  of  solid 
silver;  among  the  many  splendid  ornaments  of  the 
chalice  were  a  cross  of  diamonds  and  other  precious 
stones,  and  cameos  of  Jesus,  Mary,  and  Joseph. 

The  year  1883  was  one  of  extraordinary  blessings 
for  the  church.  The  establishment  of  the  parish 
served  to  unite  the  faithful  more  closely  than  ever  to 
the  Fathers,  who,  on  their  part,  were  never  weary  of 
laboring  for  their  spiritual  charges.  A  considerable 
percentage  of  the  people  began  to  assist  at  Holy 
Mass  and  to  receive  the  Bread  of  Angels  every  day. 
Every  feast  of  Our  Blessed  Mother,  whether  of  obli- 
gation or  of  devotion  only,  was  the  signal  for  a  spon- 
taneous manifestation  of  genuine  love  of  Her;  and, 
judging  by  the  wonderful  favors  She  obtained  for 
those  who  delighted  to  honor  Her,  Our  Lady  of 
Perpetual  Help  was  guarding  with  sleepless  vigil 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  119 

her  chosen  sanctuary.  "  I  love  them  that  love  me." 
"And  so  in  Sion  was  I  established,  and  in  the  holy 
city  I  likewise  rested,  and  in  Jerusalem  was  my 
power.  And  I  took  root  in  an  honorable  people, 
and  in  the  glorious  company  of  the  Saints  was  I 
detained." 

Early  in  March,  1884,  His  Grace  Archbishop 
Williams  announced  that  His  Holiness  Pope  Leo 
XIII  had  granted  a  plenary  indulgence  to  all  the 
faithful  who  having  devoutly  received  the  Sacra- 
ments, should,  on  the  Feast  of  St.  Patrick,  visit  any 
church  or  public  oratory  and  there  pray  for  his  inten- 
tion. On  the  eve  of  the  feast,  from  early  in  the 
afternoon  until  ten  o'clock,  there  was  not  the  slight- 
est ebb  in  the  tide  of  penitents  that  flowed  round  the 
confessionals.  Great  numbers,  of  course,  had  to 
return  home  unheard.  At  5  o'clock  the  next  morn- 
ing, as  soon  as  the  church  was  opened,  there  was  a 
great  hurrying  of  feet  up  the  side  aisles  and  an  inten- 
sive rush  for  the  confessionals.  At  all  the  Masses, 
three  Fathers  were  kept  busy  distributing  Holy 
Communion  during  the  greater  part  of  the  Adorable 
Sacrifice.  About  2,500  people  approached  the  Holy 
Table. 

This  day  is  memorable  also  by  reason  of  the  fact 
that  Father  Henning  delivered  a  scholarly  lecture  on 
"  The  Papacy  in  History,"  to  a  very  select  audience 
at  the  rooms  of  the  Catholic  Union  of  Boston.  The 
Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Williams  presided.  His 
Grace  was  accompanied  by  the  Very  Rev.  Vicar 
General,  the  Rev.  Chancellor,  and  other  prominent 
priests  of  the  diocese.  Father  Henning's  address 
was  listened  to  with  rapt  attention  and  punctuated 
with  frequent  applause. 


120       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


THE   BATTALION   OF   INNOCENCE. 

As  the  Mission  Church  had  heretofore  been  with- 
out parochial  standing,  there  had  been  no  such  beau- 
tiful and  touching  function  as  first  Holy  Communion 
for  the  children.  That  happy  event  took  place  for 
the  first  time  on  May  18,  1884.  A  graceful  writer 
in  the  Boston  Catholic  Herald  thus  described  it: 

"Last  Sunday  was  a  bright  and  sunny  and  happy  day  for 
some  300  boys  and  girls  at  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Per- 
petual Help.  Rev.  Father  Luecking  and  other  Redemptorist 
Fathers  had  been  busy  for  some  time  preparing  the  chil- 
dren of  the  parish  for  their  first  Holy  Communion.  Sunday 
was  the  day  appointed  for  the  young  communicants,  and 
every  preparation  that  could  add  to  the  beauty  and  solemn- 
ity of  the  occasion  was  made,  regardless  of  toil  or  cost.  The 
high  altar  was  a  mountain  of  flowers  and  lights,  terrace  after 
terrace  of  flowers  and  plants  were  so  arranged  as  to  form  a 
perfect  bower  around  the  Tabernacle.  This  stroke  of  art 
was  the  work  of  Bro.  James  of  the  Redemptorist  Order,  who 
did  full  justice  to  himself  and  the  occasion.  At  the  appointed 
hour  the  little  communicants  left  the  basement,  preceded  by 
the  Rev.  Father  Rector — the  Christian  general  at  the  head 
of  his  army — a  sight  not  easily  to  be  forgotten.  Slowly  the 
march  was  made  up  the  center  aisle ;  the  boys  first,  all  beau- 
tifully dressed  in  black  with  white  gloves  »nd  buttonhole 
bouquets ;  these  were  the  gifts  of  a  gentleman  of  the  parish. 
Next  came  the  girls,  a  moving  cloud  of  fleecy  whiteness,  the 

Living  Representation  of  Raphael's  Angels. 

"The  girls,  who  outnumbered  the  boys,  were  dressed  in 
white  veils  and  wreaths — a  column  of  living  flowers.  At  a 
signal  from  the  Rector,  the  children  made  their  genuflections, 
and  entered  the  pews  in  perfect  order.  The  pews  had  been 
specially  prepared  for  them,  a  neat  fixture  ran  along  the 
breast  of  each  pew,  in  which  was  inserted  a  beautifully  orna- 
mented waxen  candle  opposite  each  child.  The  bright  colors 
of  the  candles,  with  their  twinkling  golden  lights  like  stars, 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  121 

mixing  with  the  wreaths  worn  by  the  girls,  formed  a  coup 
d'oeil,  bright,  solemn  and  happy.  The  sun  tried  to  peep  in 
through  the  stained  glass  windows,  but  failed ;  he  succeeded, 
however,  in  throwing  streams  of  golden  and  purple  light  over 
the  heads  of  the  young  Christians,  and  bathing  them  in  a 
radiance  that  at  times  assumed  the  aspect  of  the  super- 
natural. It  was,  indeed,  a  sight  on  which  the  heavens  kindly 
smiled,  those  pure  dear  children,  surrounded  by  all  the  wealth 
and  glory  and 

Power  of  the  Church  of  God, 

performing  the  first  act  of  their  lives  on  which  everything 
here  and  hereafter  depends.  The  vestments  worn  by  the 
officiating  priests  were  rich  and  dazzlingly  beautiful.  As  the 
procession  entered  the  sanctuary,  headed  by  acolytes  dressed 
in  cream  colored  Roman  cassocks  with  red  sashes,  the  organ 
burst  forth  with  a  triumphal  processional  voluntary.  The 
full  choir  took  part,  and,  under  the  spirited  direction  of  the 
organist,  Miss  N.  E.  McGowan,  gave  an  excellent  rendition 
of  Mozart's  Mass  No.  1.  After  the  first  Gospel,  Father 
Luecking  ascended  the  pulpit  and  delivered  a  beautiful  ad- 
dress to  the  children.  At  the  Offertory  Mme.  Ladowiska 
Murray  sang  MiUard's  "Ave  Verum"  with  rare  excellence 
and  power,  the  notes  reverberating  throughout  the  great 
church  like  trumpet  tones  of  power  and  joy.  At  the  Pater 
Noster  Father  Luecking  again  ascended  the  pulpit,  and 
under  his  guidance  the  children  repeated  the  prayers  pre- 
paratory to  Communion. 

"It  was  An  Edtfying  Spectacle  Indeed! 

those  strong  fresh  young  voices  speaking  in  unison  their 
adoration  of  Jesus  in  the  Sacrament  of  the  Altar.  The 
order  observed  in  approaching  the  altar  and  in  retiring  from 
it  was  perfect.  The  Very  Rev.  Rector,  attended  by  the 
deacon,  subdeacon,  and  acolytes,  administered  Holy  Com- 
munion to  all  the  children  and  subsequently  to  others  of  the 
congregation.  The  church  was  densely  packed  chiefly  by  the 
parents  and  friends  of  the  young  communicants,  and  many 
an  eye  dimmed  with  tears  of  joy  followed  the  movements  of 
the  dear  little  ones,  as  they  left  the  altar  with  faces  radiant 
with  the  happiness  of  Heaven.  The  male  members  of  the 
Holy  Family  Sodality  acted  as  an  escort  to  the  children  as 


122       THE  GLORIES  OP  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

they  entered  and  left  the  church.  The  renewal  of  baptismal 
vow*  and  other  exercise*  kept  the  children  engaged  during 
the  greater  part  of  the  day.  Sunday  was  a  red-letter  day  in 
the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help." 

In  November  of  this  year,  one  of  the  parishioners, 
who  would  not  allow  her  name  to  be  published, 
donated  to  the  church  a  superb  monstrance  heavily 
gilded,  30  inches  high  and  15  inches  wide.  The 
lunula  was  of  solid  silver,  and  around  the  rim  were 
inscribed  the  words,  "  Tantum  Ergo  Sacramentum, 
Veneremur  Cernui,"  with  four  precious  stones  set  in 
the  intervening  spaces.  Ranged  in  a  large  circle 
round  the  receptacle  for  the  lunula,  were  beautiful 
symbols  of  the  four  Evangelists.  Immediately  be- 
neath the  gilded  rays,  in  the  center,  was  the  figure 
of  Our  Lord  with  the  globe  in  His  left  hand,  and  His 
right  hand  raised  to  bless  His  creatures.  On  one 
side  was  the  Apostle  Peter;  on  the  other,  the  Apostle 
Paul.  On  the  base  of  the  monstrance  were  repre- 
sented the  Royal  Psalmist  with  his  harp,  Abraham 
with  the  knife  of  sacrifice,  Melchisedech  with  the 
chalice,  and  Moses  with  the  Tables  of  the  Law.  This 
magnificent  ostensorium  was  used  for  the  first  time 
at  Solemn  Benediction  on  the  Feast  of  the  Immacu- 
late Conception. 

On  Sunday,  March  15,  1885,  the  Rev.  Joseph 
Cunningham,  C.  SS.  R.,  celebrated  his  First  Mass. 
The  Rev.  Father  Henning  preached  on  the  occasion. 
Father  Cunningham  had  been  ordained  eight  days 
before  at  Ilchester,  Md.,  by  His  Eminence  Cardinal 
Gibbons.  On  the  Feast  of  St.  Patrick,  the  Rev. 
John  McXamara,  C.  SS.  R.,  a  classmate  of  Father 
Cunningham,  also  had  the  ineffable  happiness  of 
offering  up  the  Holy  of  Holies  for  the  first  time. 
He  was  assisted  by  the  Rev.  William  G.  Luecking, 


THE  GROWING  SPLKNDOH  128 

C.  SS.  R.,  as  deacon  and  tlie  Rev,  Joseph  Cunning- 
ham, C.  SS.  R.,  as  subdeaeon.  The  Rev.  Franeis  X. 
Delargy,  C.  SS.  R.,  preached. 

On  April  27,  1885,  the  people  of  the  parish  mani- 
fested their  extraordinary  love  and  esteem  for 
Father  Henning  by  presenting  to  him  a  superb  set 
of  vestments,  consisting  of  chasuble,  dalmatics,  cope, 
humeral  veil,  stole,  and  burse;  to  which  were  added 
an  antependium  and  a  tabernacle  veil.  The  burse 
was  inlaid  with  a  square  of  gold  containing  a  gen- 
uine diamond. 

The  formal  presentation  took  place  in  the  base- 
ment of  the  church;  admission  was  by  ticket;  about 
1,300  people  were  present.  Father  Wynn  made  a 
few  introductory  remarks  as  follows: 

"The  occasion  of  your  assembling  this  evening  is  no 
other  than  to  give  testimony  of  your  love  and  esteem  for  the 
first  pastor  of  your  parish  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help. 
This  mark  of  esteem  was  to  have  been  shown  on  his  name  day, 
but  unavoidable  circumstances  prevented  our  doing  so.  We 
have,  therefore,  chosen  the  first  day  after  the  Feast  of  the 
Patronage  of  St.  Joseph,  to  perform  this  duty  of  love  and 
gratitude.  As  this  token  of  good  will  and  loyalty  proceeds 
from  you,  the  members  of  the  parish,  I  have  selected  from 
your  number  one  who  will  express  your  sentiments  in  all  the 
purity  and  simplicity  of  childhood." 

A  bright  boy  of  thirteen,  a  well  set-up,  manly 
lad  then  stepped  forward,  and  with  fine  abandon 
addressed  Father  Henning  in  part  as  follows: 

"In  obedience  to  the  summons  of  the  reverend  clergy,  I, 
though  so  young  in  years,  appear  on  the  stage  to-night,  in 
order  to  express  to  you,  Reverend  Pastor,  the  sentiments  of 
the  congregation  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help.  .  .  . 

"During  the  five  years  you  have  labored  for  us  your  /eal 
and  prudence  portray  the  faithful  steward  whom  Our  Lord 
delights  to  see  at  the  head  of  His  household.  Spiritually 
and  temporally,  the  Mission  Church  has  improved  under 


124       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

your  guidance.  The  Church  has  not  only  preserved  its  noble 
and  majestic  appearance,  but  has  also  added  splendor  to 
splendor.  It  is  under  you  so  many  tearful  eyes  became  dry ; 
so  many  hearts  healed.  .  .  .  From  far  and  near  strangers 
turn  their  steps  to  the  Mission  Church,  to  witness  the  grand 
ceremonial  of  the  Catholic  Church  as  it  is  carried  out  in  the 
temple  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help.  .  .  .  An  ever  increas- 
ing Sunday  school  in  which  the  little  ones  of  your  flock  re- 
ceive all  possible  attention;  the  societies  that  exist  in  the 
parish,  the  crowded  confessionals,  the  vast  number  of  com- 
municants that  approach  the  Holy  Table  every  Sunday  of 
the  year,  are  sufficient  evidence  that  the  spiritual  care  of 
those  under  your  charge  is  not  neglected.  .  .  . 

"May  the  day  of  your  departure  from  your  present  chil- 
dren be  far,  far  away.  May  you  remain  long  enough  among 
us  to  see  the  children  of  the  parish  grow  into  man's  estate. 
May  young  and  old,  boys  and  girls,  men  and  women,  prosper 
under  your  priestly  guidance.  And  whenever  you  stand  at 
God's  holy  altar,  robed  in  these  beautiful  vestments  that 
will  be  sacred  to  the  service  of  God,  by  the  blessing  of  holy 
church,  we  earnestly  beg  that  you  will  recommend  us  all  to 
the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus." 

When  Father  Henning,  normally  a  man  of  great 
self-command,  rose  to  reply  he  could  hardly  control 
his  emotion.  Modestly  disclaiming  all  credit  he 
attributed  to  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  whatever 
good  he  might  have  done.  In  feeling  words  he 
thanked  his  devoted  friends  and  parishioners  and 
exhorted  them  to  manifest  the  same  good  spirit  in 
the  future  by  contributing  to  the  erection  of  a  new 
high  altar  and  by  at  least  beginning,  if  not  complet- 
ing, the  building  of  a  parochial  school. 

On  Trinity  Sunday,  May  31,  1885,  the  Sacrament 
of  Confirmation  was  administered  for  the  first  time. 
After  the  9:30  Mass  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop 
Williams  conferred  the  Sacrament  on  a  class  of  259 
men  and  boys  and  310  women  and  girls. 

The  Rev.  Michael  J.  Sheehan,  C.  SS.  R.,  cele- 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  125 

brated  his  first  Mass  on  the  fourth  Sunday  in  Lent, 
Laetare  Sunday,  April  4,  1886.  The  Rev.  William 
O'Connor,  C.  SS.  R.,  officiated  as  deacon  and  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Pancratius  Schmidt,  C.  SS.  R.,  a  semi- 
narian, as  subdeacon.  The  Rev.  Andrew  Wynn, 
C.  SS.  R.,  preached.  Father  Sheehan  was  ordained 
on  March  25,  the  beautiful  Feast  of  the  Annuncia- 
tion, at  Ilchester,  Md.,  by  His  Eminence  Cardinal 
Gibbons. 

As  an  evidence  of  the  growth  of  the  parish,  it  may 
be  noted  that  in  May,  1886,  two  new  confessionals 
were  installed ;  one  on  each  side,  in  the  rear  of  the 
church.  The  number  was  thus  increased  to  twelve, 
exclusive  of  the  one  in  the  baptistry. 

The  first  parish  picnic  was  held  at  Centennial 
Grove,  August  26,  1886,  under  the  auspices  of  the 
St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society.  As  early  as  8  A.  M.,  a 
carefree,  jolly  crowd  lined  both  sides  of  Tremont 
Street,  from  the  church  to  Roxbury  Crossing. 
Twenty- seven  horse  cars  taxed  to  the  limit  of  their 
capacity,  conveyed  the  picnickers  to  the  Boston  & 
Maine  Station.  The  trains  started  at  9:30,  carrying 
to  the  Grove  2,000  people.  All  kinds  of  sports  and 
diversions  were  provided,  and  some  valuable  prizes 
were  awarded  the  winners  in  the  various  contests. 
The  principal  feature  of  the  program  was  a  scull 
race  by  the  champion  scullers  of  New  England. 
Five  oarsmen  entered  the  race,  on  the  pond  adjoin- 
ing the  picnic  grounds.  Mr.  Conley,  a  member  of 
the  parish,  was  the  winner.  He  received  a  gold 
medal  valued  at  $25,  donated  by  Captain  Twombly. 

On  September  21,  1886,  the  Rev.  Adam  Kreis, 
C.  SS.  R.,  first  assistant  at  the  Mission  Church,  and, 
as  our  readers  may  remember,  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
the  Boston  Community,  celebrated  the  silver  anni- 
versary of  his  priesthood.  As  he  was  widely  known 


126       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

and  universally  esteemed,  every  seat  in  the  church 
was  taken,  and  many  people  were  standing  in  the 
aisles  before  the  Jubilee  Mass  began.  Father  Kreis 
was  assisted  by  Father  Henning  as  deacon  and 
Father  Werner,  of  the  Church  of  the  Most  Holy 
Redeemer,  1ST.  Y.,  as  subdeacon.  In  token  of  thanks- 
giving to  Almighty  God  for  all  the  graces  bestowed 
on  Father  Kreis  during  the  twenty-five  years  of  his 
priesthood,  several  hundred  people  received  Com- 
munion from  his  hand.  At  dinner  Father  Henning 
read  a  poem  specially  composed  for  the  occasion  by 
the  Rev.  William  Bond,  C.  SS.  R.,  of  Detroit,  Mich- 
igan. Father  O'Connor  also  invoked  the  Muses. 
Two  Bishops,  the  Rt.  Rev.  P.  T.  O'Reilly,  of 
Springfield,  Mass.,  and  the  Rt.  Rev.  John  J.  Keane, 
of  Richmond,  Va.,  sent  telegrams  of  congratulation. 
The  venerable  parents  of  the  reverend  jubilarian,  as 
well  as  his  sister,  journeyed  from  Baltimore,  in  order 
to  take  part  in  the  festivities.  Father  Kreis  was  the 
recipient  of  many  valuable  presents,  including  a 
handsome  set  of  breviaries,  the  gift  of  Father  Hen- 
ning; but  what  pleased  him  most  was  the  emphatic 
assurance  given  him  that  he  had  the  good  will  and 
affection  of  all  who  knew  him. 


Father  Henning' s  Silver  Jubilee. 

The  memory  of  Father  Kreis's  Silver  Jubilee  was 
still  fresh  in  the  minds  of  the  people  when  the  be- 
loved Father  Rector  Henning  approached  the 
twenty-fifth  milestone  of  his  priesthood,  and,  of 
course,  a  grand  celebration,  the  grandest  a  loving 
people  could  give  a  pastor  whom  they  idolized,  was 
projected.  Because  of  his  remarkable  eloquence 
Father  Henning  was  known  throughout  Boston,  and 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  127 

without  stretching  the  facts  it  may  be  said  that  people 
from  all  over  the  city  joined  in  the  movement  to  do 
him  honor,  though  naturally  the  people  of  the  parish 
were  the  principal  actors. 

Far  in  advance  of  the  jubilee  day,  June  11,  elabo- 
rate plans  were  made  for  the  celebration.  The  out- 
standing features  of  the  program  were:  first,  the 
presentation  of  a  new  biretta  and  cassock  by  the 
sanctuary  boys,  on  the  evening  of  June  10  ;  secondly, 
a  mass-meeting  of  the  parishioners  in  the  basement  of 
the  church  ;  thirdly,  the  Solemn  Jubilee  Mass,  fol- 
lowed by  a  grand  reception  by  the  school  teachers. 

The  newspapers,  especially  the  Boston  Globe,  de- 
voted a  great  amount  of  space  to  the  celebration.  In 
its  issue  for  June  11  it  said  in  part: 

"A  reception  was  tendered  Rev.  Joseph  Henning,  C.  SS. 
R.,  Rector  of  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help, 
Boston  Highlands,  last  evening,  by  his  parishioners,  in  honor 
of  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  his  ordination  to  the  priest- 
hood. A  large  number  of  the  congregation,  headed  by  Rev. 
Father  Rathke,  have  worked  quietly  and  energetically  for 
some  days  past,  and  the  result  of  their  work  was  the  re- 
ception last  evening.  The  basement  of  the  church  in  which 
the  reception  was  held  was  literally  packed  long  before  the 
hour  appointed.  ..." 

Mr.  M.  J.  Dwyer,  now  the  Rev.  M.  J.  Dwyer  of 

Rensselaer,  N.  Y.,  delivered  the  address  of  congratu- 
lation on  behalf  of  the  people.  He  reviewed  Father 
Henning's  busy,  active  life  as  missionary  and  as 
Rector  of  the  Mission  Church;  he  voiced  the  admira- 
tion, love  and  reverence  which  the  parishioners  enter- 
tained for  him ;  and  he  expressed  the  hope  that  Father 
Henning  might  live  to  see  one  of  his  dearest  ambi- 
tions realized,  namely,  the  erection  of  a  magnificent 
parochial  school.  At  the  conclusion  of  his  address 
Mr.  Dwyer  presented  Father  Henning  with  a  purse 
of  $1,600. 


128       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Father  Henning,  after  speaking  of  the  trials  and 
consolations  of  the  priest,  assured  his  people  how 
deeply  touched  he  was  by  this  substantial  proof  of 
their  esteem  and  love,  and  stated  that  his  three  great 
aims  were  :  The  erection  of  a  new  altar,  the  establish- 
ment of  a  parochial  school,  and  the  founding  of  a 
society  for  the  young  men  of  the  parish.  These  high 
aims,  he  hoped,  with  the  generous  assistance  of  his 
devoted  and  loyal  parishioners,  to  carry  forward  to  a 
glorious  consummation. 

The  following  morning  the  whole  atmosphere  of  the 
Mission  Church  was  redolent  of  joy  and  gladness. 
Young  and  old,  radiant  with  spiritual  happiness,  were 
seen  bright  and  early  wending  their  way  by  the  hun- 
dreds to  the  imposing  temple  of  Our  Holy  Mother. 
No  one  that  saw  that  crowd  could  doubt  for  a  moment 
of  the  sincere  and  deep-seated  love  and  esteem  which 
the  people  of  the  parish  cherished  for  Father  Hen- 
ning, the  man  of  the  hour  and  the  central  figure  of  the 
occasion;  nor  could  one  doubt  of  the  grand  deeds  the 
reverend  jubilarian  had  wrought  in  the  interests  of  his 
flock,  for  only  a  pastor  who  had  spent  himself  for  his 
people  could  have  been  the  recipient  of  such  a  heart- 
felt demonstration. 

At  8  o'clock  Father  Henning  sang  Solemn  Mass. 
assisted  by  the  Rev.  Eugene  Grimm,  C.  SS.  R.,  Rector 
of  the  Redemptorist  Seminary  at  Ilchester,  Md.,  as 
deacon  and  the  Rev.  Jeremiah  McCarthy,  C.  SS.  R., 
of  Quebec,  as  subdeacon.  The  juvenile  choir,  under 
the  direction  of  Miss  Kate  Kroesen,  rendered  with 
fine  effect  a  select  musical  program. 

After  the  Mass  the  reverend  rector  was  con- 
ducted to  the  basement  of  the  church,  where  a  hearty 
ovation  was  tendered  him  by  the  Sunday  school  teach- 
ers and  pupils.  As  he  entered,  the  children's  choir 
saluted  him  with  a  beautiful  song  composed  for  the 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  129 

occasion.  He  was  then  escorted  by  two  of  the 
Fathers  to  an  improvised  throne  covered  with  silver 
cloth  and  silk  damask.  In  the  name  of  all  the  Sunday 
school  teachers,  Mr.  Thomas  Kelley  delivered  an 
elegantly  phrased  address  of  fealty  and  felicitation, 
which  he  brought  to  a  fitting  close  by  presenting 
Father  Henning  with  a  handsome  purse.  The  differ- 
ent grades  of  the  Sunday  school  were  represented  by 
twenty-five  girls  and  an  equal  number  of  boys.  The 
girls  were  dressed  all  in  white  and  carried  costly 
bouquets  ;  the  boys  were  suitably  attired.  At  a  given 
signal  they  grouped  themselves  round  the  Rector, 
and  offered  him  the  tributes  of  all  the  children.  Master 
John  G.  Cleary,  the  spokesman  of  the  boys,  acquitted 
himself  of  his  task  in  a  creditable  manner,  Father 
Henning  listening  with  the  closest  attention.  At  the 
conclusion  of  his  speech  young  Cleary  handed  the  be- 
loved priest  a  large  purse  collected  by  the  boys  as  a 
token  of  gratitude  to  their  reverend  pastor  for  all 
he  had  done  for  their  spiritual  and  temporal  benefit. 
An  appropriate  poem  was  then  read  by  Miss  Nellie 
Lyons,  after  which  the  girls,  one  Jby  one,  laid  at  Father 
Henning's  feet  the  floral  tributes  they  had  brought. 
One  little  tot,  eight  years  old,  offered  him  a  huge 
basket  of  rare  and  delicate  flowers  in  which  was  con- 
cealed a  substantial  sum  of  money. 

Between  the  addresses  the  choir  sang  appropriate 
songs,  for  the  most  part  original  compositions.  When 
Father  Henning  rose  to  respond,  he  was  greeted  with 
repeated  rounds  of  enthusiastic  applause.  Pro- 
foundly touched  by  the  affection  shown  him  by  the 
children,  who  were  the  apple  of  his  eye,  he  thanked 
them  most  cordially,  and,  speaking  to  them  words  of 
encouragement  and  praise,  dismissed  them  with  his 
blessing. 

At  the  jubilee  dinner  the  Rev.  Father  Delargy 


130       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

read  a  poem  from  the  pen  of  the  Rev.  Augustine  Mc- 
Inerney,  C.  SS.R.,  Rector  of  St.  Mary's  Church, 
Annapolis,  Md.,  and  Father  O'Connor  sang  a  Latin 
hymn.  Father  Henning  received  numerous  messages 
of  congratulation  from  his  Redemptorist  brethren  all 
over  the  country,  to  whom  his  piety  as  a  priest,  his 
fidelity  as  a  religious,  his  zeal  and  eloquence  as  a  mis- 
sionary, and  his  tact  and  prudence  as  an  executive, 
were  well  known. 

When  the  gray  twilight  had  deepened  into  night, 
when  the  chill  breezes  were  sweeping  in  from  the  Back 
Bay,  and  the  restless  lights  were  coming  out  on  the 
hills  of  Brookline,  Father  Henning  felt  that  he  had 
reached  "  The  End  of  a  Perfect  Day." 

A  day  or  two  after  the  celebration,  Father  Henning 
was  officially  notified  that  he  had  been  appointed 
Rector  of  St.  Patrick's  Church,  Toronto,  Canada. 
On  June  23,  to  the  universal  regret  of  the  people,  he 
left  for  his  new  station. 

In  the  history  of  the  church  of  Our  Lady  of  Per- 
petual Help,  the  Rev.  Joseph  Henning,  C.  SS.  R., 
will  always  be  remembered  as  the  one  who  nurtured 
the  infant  parish  and  laid  the  foundations  of  those 
wonderful  activities  which  in  our  day  excite  such  just 
admiration. 

THE  REV.  AUGUSTINE  J.  MC!NERNEY,  C.  SS.  R., 

IN  COMMAND. 

The  new  Rector,  the  Rev.  Augustine  J.  Mcln- 
erney,  C.  SS.R.,  arrived  from  Annapolis,  June  23, 
and  the  following  day  assumed  formal  charge  of 
affairs.  Father  Mclnerney  was  no  stranger  in  Bos- 
ton, as  he  had  been  stationed  here  as  far  back  as  1876, 
just  after  the  completion  of  his  studies.  In  those  days 
he  did  splendid  work  on  the  missions  until  ill  health 


ST.  JOSEPH'S  ALTAR 


BANNER  OF  OUR  LADY  OF  PERPETUAL  HELP 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  181 

made  it  necessary  for  his  Superiors  to  transfer  him 
to  an  easier  field. 

His  first  important  official  act  was  to  announce  a 
Solemn  Triduum  in  commemoration  of  the  centenary 
of  the  death  of  St.  Alphonsus.  On  June  16th,  His 
Holiness  Pope  Leo  XIII  had  granted  a  plenary 
indulgence  to  all  the  faithful  of  both  sexes,  who,  dur- 
ing the  Triduum,  being  truly  penitent  and  strength- 
ened by  Holy  Communion,  should  visit  any  church  in 
charge  of  the  Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy  Re- 
deemer, and  there  pray  devoutly  for  his  intention  ; 
likewise,  an  indulgence  of  seven  years  and  seven  times 
forty  days,  one  each  day,  to  those  who  with  contrite 
heart  should  visit  said  church  and  pray  as  above  indi- 
cated. The  publication  of  these  indulgences  proved  a 
powerful  inducement  to  the  faithful  to  make  the 
Triduum  in  such  a  manner  as  to  realize  the  ends  for 
which  it  had  been  proclaimed. 

The  specific  aim  of  the  sacred  exercises  was  to  make 
the  Saint,  his  personality  and  his  works,  better 
known  to  the  people.  In  this  Father  Mclnerney 
saw  a  distinct  advantage  ;  for  such  is  the  charm  of  St. 
Alphonsus'  character  that  whoever  learns  to  know 
him,  feels  strongly  impelled  to  imitate  him  as  far  as 
human  frailty  and  difference  of  condition  allow.  We 
feel  that  the  Saint  is  near  to  us,  because  he  lived,  we 
may  say,  in  our  own  time,  and  because  he  fought  for 
God  and  wrought  for  Heaven  under  practically  the 
same  conditions  which  surround  us  to-day.  Hence, 
he  has  been  called  "the  Saint  of  Modern  Times." 
His  great  achievements  should  appeal  forcibly  to  us 
because  they  have  a  direct  bearing  on  our  lives.  By 
his  well-tempered  system  of  Moral  Theology,  holding 
the  golden  mean  between  laxism  and  rigorism,  he  has 
made  the  Sacrament  of  Penance  a  consolation,  not  a 
torture.  By  his  just  and  sane  views  concerning  the 


dispositions  necessary  for  the  frequent  reception  of 
the  Holy  Eucharist,  he  helped  wonderfully  to  revive 
the  practice  of  daily  Communion,  and  by  his  golden 
work,  "  The  Glories  of  Mary,"  he  charted  the  way  for 
the  present-day  devotion  to  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 
Help;  hence  the  great  good  that  would  flow  from 
making  known  to  the  people  such  a  Saint  as  Alphon- 
sus  de  Ligouri. 

The  opening  sermon  of  the  Triduum,  which  began 
July  31,  was  preached  by  Father  Mclnerney  him- 
self. The  subject  was  "  The  Youth  of  St.  Alphon- 
sus."  Did  you  ever  hear  the  fascinating  story  of  the 
young  Neapolitan  nobleman  who  was  endowed  with 
such  keenness  and  brilliancy  of  intellect  that  when  a 
mere  boy  of  sixteen  he  had  won  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  both  Civil  and  Canon  Law  ?  Have  you  ever  heard 
that  one  day  while  arguing  a  case  in  the  courts  of 
Naples  he  unintentionally  made  a  statement  not  in 
strict  conformity  with  the  truth,  and  on  being  in- 
formed of  his  error,  was  so  filled  with  horror  at  the 
thought  that  he  might  have  told  a  lie  that  he  aban- 
doned the  practice  of  law,  renounced  all  his  brilliant 
prospects,  and  resolved  to  give  himself  entirely  to 
God  ?  Father  Mclnerney  told  the  story  in  his  own 
impressive  and  forcible  way.  He  drew  a  captivating 
picture  of  the  youthful  days  of  the  Saint  and  pointed 
out  with  clearness  and  emphasis  how  the  young  men 
of  our  day  might  imitate  him.  The  following  even- 
ing Father  Kautz  preached  on  "The  Manhood  of 
St.  Alphonsus,"  bringing  out  in  bold  relief  his  ex- 
traordinary courage  and  confidence  even  in  the  midst 
of  the  overwhelming  misfortunes  which  marked  his 
mature  years.  The  third  and  last  evening  Father 
Luecking  discoursed  on  "The  Old  Age  of  St.  Al- 
phonsus," showing  in  particular  his  spirit  of  morti- 
fication, prayer,  and  detachment  from  the  false  and 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  133 

fleeting  goods  of  this  world.  At  the  solemn  close  of 
the  Triduum  the  Rev.  Father  McCarthy,  S.J.,  spoke 
on  "The  Authority  of  the  Church."  In  simple  yet 
beautiful  language  he  proved  the  infallibility  of  the 
Pope,  and  reminded  his  hearers  that  even  a  century 
before  it  was  defined  as  a  dogma  of  the  faith  by  the 
Vatican  Council,  St.  Alphonsus  had  been  its  ardent 
champion  and  fearless  defender.  The  celebrant  of  the 
Mass  was  the  Very  Rev.  William  Byrne,  Vicar  Gen- 
eral of  the  diocese,  the  deacon,  the  Rev.  F.  Himmel- 
heber,  S.J.,  and  the  subdeacon,  the  Rev.  M.  Moran. 
Present  in  the  sanctuary  were  :  the  Rev.  Joshua 
Bodfish,  Rector  of  the  Cathedral ;  the  Rev.  F.  F. 
Delahunty,  of  St.  Francis  de  Sales',  Roxbury  ;  the 
Rev.  F.  Glavin,  of  Somerville,  and  the  Rev.  F.  Char- 
lier,  S.J.  The  Boston  Pilot  said  : 

"The  Triduum  closed  at  7 :  30  P.  M.  with  solemn  Vespers 
and  Benediction.  The  church  was  magnificently  decorated 
all  through  the  Triduum.  On  the  shrine  of  St.  Alphonsus, 
erected  in  the  sanctuary  to  the  left  of  the  high  altar,  was 
displayed  a  fine  oil  painting  of  the  Saint.  The  Shrine  was 
lavishly  decorated  with  the  rarest  flowers  and  was  ablaze 
with  wax-lights.  The  attendance  at  the  exercises  was  very 
large,  considering  the  extreme  heat  of  the  weather,  and 
great  numbers  approached  the  Sacraments." 

In  the  early  fall  of  1887,  through  the  efforts  of  the 
Rev.  Father  Luecking,  who  was  an  enthusiastic 
worker  for  the  children,  the  Juvenile  Library  was 
established.  The  initial  catalogue  shows  400  books. 
One  young  man  contributed  $100  to  the  project,  and 
a  keen  interest  in  its  success  was  generally  manifested. 
Although  the  library  was  organized  chiefly  for  the 
little  ones,  before  long  their  parents  also  began  to 
apply  for  books,  and  thus  it  developed  into  a  general 
parish  library.  At  present  it  contains  several  thou- 
sand volumes,  and  the  intellectual  advantages  which 
it  affords  are  highly  appreciated  by  the  people. 


134       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


THE  ESTABLISHMENT  OF  THE  SCHOOL 

Father  Mclnerney's  overshadowing  achievement,  a 
monumental  triumph  for  which  all  future  generations 
of  the  parish  owe  him  an  eternal  debt  of  gratitude, 
was  the  building  of  the  fine  parochial  school  of  which 
we  may  all  be  so  justly  proud.  To  him  belongs  the 
credit  of  having,  amid  contradictions  and  setbacks 
and  heart  aches,  inaugurated,  prosecuted,  and  con- 
summated this  noble  work  which  has  contributed  so 
wonderfully  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  parish  and  the 
strengthening  of  the  faith  among  the  people. 

We  say  "  amid  contradictions  and  setbacks  and 
heartaches  "  because  he  met  with  considerable  oppo- 
sition, even  on  the  part  of  some  otherwise  good  peo- 
ple. It  is  hard  for  us  at  this  late  date  to  understand 
how  such  a  spirit  could  ever  have  manifested  itself  in 
a  parish  whose  people  were  remarkable  for  their  strong 
faith,  but  we  must  bear  in  mind  that  a  full  generation 
ago  the  necessity  and  the  advantages  of  parochial 
schools  were  not  so  clearly  understood  as  they  are  to- 
day. At  that  time,  1887,  there  were  comparatively 
few  parochial  schools  in  Boston,  and  it  was  difficult 
to  convince  many  of  the  older  people  who  had  never 
attended  or  perhaps  even  heard  of  such  schools  that 
they  were  an  urgent  moral  necessity.  Others  mis- 
understood just  what  a  parochial  school  was.  They 
conceived  it  to  be  an  institution  from  which  all  pro- 
fane knowledge  would  be  excluded  and  religion  alone 
taught.  Now  as  the  Mission  Church  had  an  excel- 
lently conducted  Sunday  school,  these  men  and 
women  could  not  see  just  where  a  parochial  school 
fitted  into  the  scheme  of .  education. 


THE  GROWING.  SPLENDOR  135 

With  Father  Mclnerney,  however,  parochial 
schools  for  Catholic  children  were  "  the  whole  law  and 
the  prophets."  He  had  no  quarrel  with  the  public 
schools  as  far  as  they  went,  but  their  essential  defect 
was  that  they  did  not  go  far  enough.  Their  fault  was 
a  negative  rather  than  a  positive  one.  In  the  system 
of  education  which  they  sponsored  and  propagated, 
no  account  was  taken  of  the  eternal  truth  that  the 
child  is  endowed  with  an  immortal  soul  made  by  God 
to  His  image  and  likeness  and  created  for  everlasting 
happiness.  They  ignored  the  great  principle  laid 
down  by  the  Infinite  Wisdom  twenty  centuries  ago, 
"  What  doth  it  profit  a  man  to  gain  the  whole  world 
and  suffer  the  loss  of  his  own  soul  ? "  By  their  failure 
to  teach  religion  the  public  schools  ruled  out  of  court 
the  supreme  end  of  all  education — to  lead  the  soul 
back  to  the  God  who  created  it.  They  trained  the 
mental,  at  the  expense  of  the  moral  faculties.  As 
far  as  the  knowledge  of  things  temporal  goes,  they 
might  turn  out  bright  and  clever  children,  but  not 
children  of  sound  moral  and  religious  principles. 
Religion  alone  is  and  can  be  the  basis  of  morality,  be- 
cause without  religion  the  moral  law  has  no  adequate 
sanction.  How  then  can  any  system  of  education 
which  excludes  religious  training  develop  aright  the 
moral  nature  of  the  child  ?  It  is  idle  to  say  that  the 
child  can  receive  sufficient  religious  instruction  from 
the  parents  at  home  or  from  the  teachers  in  the  Sun- 
day school,  for  since  man's  duty  to  God  should  be  his 
supreme  consideration,  it  follows  that  the  child  should 
be  surrounded  by  a  religious  atmosphere  every  day 
of  the  week  ;  but  it  is  precisely  in  this  religious  atmos- 
phere that  the  public  schools  are  lacking.  If  day  after 
day  during  school  hours,  the  child  is  subjected  to  in- 
fluences that  set  aside  religion  as  something  of  no 
consequence,  how  can  the  terrible  evils  thus  resulting 


136       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

be  offset  by  the  brief  religious  instruction  imparted 
during  the  sessions  of  the  Sunday  school  ?  The  Cath- 
olic child  is  educated  aright  only  when  it  "  lives  and 
moves  and  has  its  being  "  in  a  thoroughly  Catholic  at- 
mosphere. The  late  Bishop  McQuaid,  in  1893,  said 
to  the  point :  "  Experience  has  also  demonstrated 
that  Catholic  children  brought  up  in  State  schools 
lose  the  spirit  of  the  Catholic  religion  ;  their  thoughts 
are  tinctured  with  a  liberalism  that  borders  on  in- 
fidelity. A  common  remark  among  this  class  is  '  All 
religions  are  good  enough,  or  one  religion  is  as  good 
as  another. ' ' 

When  the  Third  Plenary  Council  of  Baltimore,  in 
1884,  inculcated  the  necessity  of  parochial  schools, 
Father  Henning  at  once  determined  to  put  into  effect 
the  injunction  of  the  Prelates,  and  began  collecting 
funds  for  the  building  of  a  school,  but  he  was  trans- 
ferred from  Boston  before  he  had  the  opportunity  of 
starting  the  work.  Father  Mclnerney,  accordingly, 
on  assuming  office,  at  once  set  his  hand  to  the  task, 
and  on  August  19,  1887,  ground  was  broken  for  the 
school.  He  was  not  daunted  by  the  opposition  that 
had  arisen  ;  he  knew  that  he  was  fighting  the  battle 
of  the  Lord  and  that  in  God's  own  time  victory  must 
be  his.  But  there  was  another  difficulty  to  be  over- 
come— the  financial  problem.  To  erect  a  school 
worthy  of  the  parish  and  commensurate  with  its  needs, 
would  require  a  vast  sum  of  money.  Would  it  be 
forthcoming  ?  Again,  Father  Mclnerney's  indomi- 
table courage  and  unwavering  confidence  told  him 
that  by  dint  of  hard  and  persevering  efforts  he  could 
and  would,  with  God's  help,  raise  the  necessary  funds. 
Father  Henning  had  already  collected  over  $5,000 
for  the  purpose,  and  a  recent  census  had  netted  $2,000 
more  ;  but,  after  all,  $7,000  was  only  a  drop  in  the 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  187 

bucket.     Still  it  was  something  to  start  with,  and 
Father  Mclnerney  went  ahead  bravely. 

In  the  early  autumn  of  1887,  he  organized  among 
the  Sunday  school  children  a  Juvenile  Collecting  So- 
ciety, which  about  600  boys  and  girls  joined.  Each 
collector  received  a  book  with  several  rows  of  "bricks" 
pictured  in  it,  and  was  expected  to  sell  fifty  "  bricks  " 
at  ten  cents  each.  The  children  raised  $1,400,  which 
they  formally  presented  to  Father  Mclnerney  at  an 
entertainment  held  December  26,  in  the  basement  of 
the  church.  The  speech  of  presentation  was  made  by 
a  boy  dressed  for  the  occasion  like  a  hod-carrier, 
Master  Cornelius  J.  Warren,  now  the  Rev.  Corne- 
lius J.  Warren,  C.  SS.R.,  of  St.  Clement's  College, 
Saratoga  Springs,  New  York. 

In  order  to  make  perfectly  clear  to  the  people  what 
their  attitude  towards  the  public  schools  should  be, 
Father  Mclnerney  invited  the  Rev.  F.  T.  McCarthy, 
S.J.,  to  deliver  a  lecture  in  the  church,  December  22, 
on  "  The  Position  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  Regard 
to  State  Schools."  The  reverend  lecturer  proved 
that  not  the  State,  but  the  parents  have  the  right  to 
educate  the  child  ;  and  that,  if  the  parents  freely  con- 
fer this  right  on  the  State,  the  State  must  educate  the 
child  according  to  their  wishes.  As  to  the  duty  of  the 
parents  in  the  matter,  he  quoted  a  decree  of  the  Sacred 
Congregation  of  the  Council,  June  30,  1876,  to  show 
that  they  are  forbidden  to  send  their  children  to  the 
public  schools  except  in  case  of  necessity,  of  which 
necessity,  not  the  parents,  but  the  Bishop  is  to  judge  ; 
and  that  even  when  through  necessity  the  children 
attend  such  schools,  the  danger  of  their  perversion 
must  be  rendered  remote.  Father  McCarthy's  lec- 
ture, by  reason  of  its  bold  and  uncompromising  stand, 
attracted  considerable  attention  and  was  given  almost 
in  full  by  the  Boston  Morning  Journal.  His  pres- 


entation  of  the  case  was  so  cogent  and  masterful  that 
it  put  the  opponents  of  parochial  schools  completely 
on  the  defensive. 

Father  Mclnerney  determined  to  crown  the  victory 
thus  gained,  and  during  the  Lent  of  1888  preached  a 
course  of  sermons  on  the  necessity  of  parochial  schools. 
Large  crowds  came  to  hear  him,  and  by  his  unassail- 
able logic  he  not  only  silenced  his  adversaries  but 
also  won  their  ardent  support.  The  very  people  who 
at  first  would  not  countenance  the  idea  of  a  parochial 
school,  became  its  enthusiastic  advocates  and  began 
to  look  forward  joyfully  to  the  day  when  the  School 
of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  would  take  its  place 
beside  the  church,  as  an  effective  agency  for  the  salva- 
tion of  souls.  In  the  retrospect  we  of  this  generation, 
viewing  the  matter  calmly  and  dispassionately,  can 
readily  see  that  the  opposition  to  the  parochial  school 
was  due  not  so  much  to  bad  will  as  to  lack  of  knowl- 
edge, for  when  the  light  had  pierced  the  darkness, 
the  disaffected  followed  where  the  bright  rays  pointed. 

On  Low  Sunday,  April  8, 1888,  just  ten  years  after 
the  dedication  of  the  present  church,  the  corner-stone 
of  the  school  was  laid  by  His  Grace  Archbishop  Wil- 
liams.   Of  this  epochal  event  the  Boston  Globe  said 
in  part : 

"Yesterday  was  a  gala  day  for  the  parishioners  of  the 
Mission  Church.  As  this  parish  strives  to  be  foremost 
among  the  Catholic  parishes,  it  is  natural  that  it  should 
be  among  the  first  to  erect  a  Catholic  school.  Several  weeks 
ago  an  illustration  of  the  intended  parochial  school  appeared 
in  the  Globe.  Yesterday  the  corner-stone  of  this  building  was 
laid  by  Archbishop  Williams  of  Boston.  At  3  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  the  societies  of  men  of  the  parish,  number- 
ing 600,  proceeded  to  the  ground  adjoining  the  church,  and 
when  they  reached  the  foundation  of  the  school,  the  Master 
of  Ceremonies,  Rev.  William  Luecking,  divided  them  into  two 
files,  forming  a  guard,  through  which  the  Archbishop,  pre- 
ceded by  members  of  the  clergy  and  the  altar-boys  of  the 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  189 

Mission  Church,  passed.  The  grounds  and  the  surround- 
ing house  were  filled  with  spectators.  When  the  corner- 
stone had  been  laid,  the  procession  returned  to  the  sanctuary, 
where  Solemn  Vespers  were  chanted  by  Rev.  Father  O'Toole, 
assisted  by  Rev.  Fathers  Neagle  and  Barry,  in  the  presence 
of  the  Archbishop.  After  Vespers  Father  Henning  delivered 
an  eloquent  sermon  appropriate  to  the  occasion.  ..." 

The  framework  of  Father  Henning's  discourse  was 
as  follows  :  The  education  of  the  child  must  be  the 
product  of  three  agents  :  First,  the  parents,  who  by 
their  precepts,  admonitions,  and  examples  are  to  give 
the  first  impressions  to  the  child's  mind  ;  second,  the 
Church,  which,  in  a  higher  way,  enlightens,  strength- 
ens and  trains  the  youthful  mind  to  the  practice  of 
virtue  ;  and  third,  the  Catholic  school,  which,  con- 
ducted five  days  of  the  week  by  efficient  teachers, 
brings  to  full  fruitage  and  perfection  the  education 
of  the  child. 

On  October  2,  1888,  ground  was  broken  for  the 
Sisters'  convent  to  be  erected  alongside  of  the  school, 
to  the  west. 

Work  on  the  school  progressed  so  favorably  that 
on  November  12,  the  basement  was  in  fit  condition 
to  be  the  scene  of  a  large  fair,  the  proceeds  of  which 
were  to  be  devoted  to  defraying  the  cost  of  the  two 
new  buildings.  The  first  night  of  the  fair,  the  Boston 
Oratorio  Society  and  the  Boston  Symphony  Orches- 
tra, under  the  direction  of  Mr.  E.  J.  McGoldrick, 
gave  a  grand  concert.  Every  evening  an  entertain- 
ment was  conducted.  The  admission  fee  was  ten 
cents,  which  included  a  chance  on  a  lady's  and  a 
gentleman's  gold  watch.  A  prominent  feature  of  the 
fair  was  a  contest  for  a  set  of  vestments,  between 
Father  Daly  of  St.  Francis  de  Sales'  Church,  Rox- 
bury,  and  Father  Mclnerney.  There  was  also  a  con- 
test for  a  gold  chalice,  and  for  a  beautiful  crayon  por- 
trait of  the  community.  The  people  showed  keen 


140       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

interest  in  the  fair  and  worked  unselfishly  for  its 
success.  All  day  long  and  far  into  the  night,  the 
various  committees  in  charge  devoted  themselves  en- 
ergetically to  their  allotted  tasks.  The  extraordinary 
success  that  crowned  the  fair  was  profoundly  grati- 
fying to  Father  Mclnerney  and  reflected  great  credit 
on  the  director,  Father  Beil.  When  it  was  announced 
that  Father  Mclnerney  had  won  the  set  of  vest- 
ments, his  courteous  and  high-minded  opponent  was 
among  the  first  to  rejoice. 

On  Shrove  Tuesday  evening,  March  5,  1889,  the 
school  hall  was  formally  opened.  The  happy  event 
was  signalized  by  the  performance  of  the  well-known 
drama,  "  The  Celebrated  Case,"  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Young  Men's  Holy  Family  Association.  The 
Boston  Globe  thus  spoke  of  the  celebration: 

"The  close  of  the  festive  season  was  marked  in  the  Mis- 
sion Church  Parish  by  the  grand  opening  of  the  New  Hall 
of  the  Mission  Church  school,  which  took  place  last  eve- 
ning. Had  the  hall  been  twice  as  large  it  would  have  been 
filled,  so  great  was  the  demand  for  tickets.  Hundreds 
could  be  seen  hastening  in  the  direction  of  the  hall,  and 
when  the  curtain  rose  the  building  was  literally  packed,  all 
available  standing  room  being  occupied.  The  hall  was 
brilliantly  lighted  and  elaborately  decorated  with  bunting 
which  hung  from  the  center  of  the  ceilings  in  various  col- 
ored streamers,  which  were  caught  up  at  different  points 
making  a  very  effective  picture. 

"The  entertainment  last  evening  was  given  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Young  Men's  Sodality,  and  was  a  reproduc- 
tion of  the  well-known  drama,  *A  Celebrated  Case.'  The 
cast  of  characters  was  composed  of  popular  young  men, 
and,  while  all  sustained  their  parts  admirably  and  fully 
merited  the  generous  applause  which  greeted  their  efforts, 
John  H.  Creagh's  impersonation  of  John  Renaud  was  re- 
markably fine  and  worthy  of  a  professional.  T.  J.  Morton, 
as  'an  Irish  sergeant,'  fairly  brought  down  the  house  and 
convulsed  the  audience  with  laughter.  George  H.  Finneran 
and  Louis  Munier,  in  their  several  characters,  captured  the 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  141 

audience.  The  souvenir  programs  were  especially  tasty 
in  design  and  finish  and  were  arranged  in  tablet  form. 
Among  the  invited  guests  were  Rev.  Fathers  Murty  and 
Lane  of  St.  Patrick's  Church,  and  also  the  members  of  St. 
Bernard's  Lyceum  Dramatic  Club  of  West  Newton.  Robert 
W.  Hurley,  director  and  stage  manager,  has  won  for  him- 
self golden  opinions  for  the  efficient  performance  of  his 
duties,  the  stage  looking  superb  with  its  rich  and  appro- 
priate appointments  and  scenes.  At  the  close  of  the  enter- 
tainment, the  Rector,  Rev.  A.  J.  Mclnerney,  C.  SS.  R., 
entertained  his  guests  in  royal  style,  a  sumptuous  repast 
being  served  in  the  dining  room  which  was  prettily  deco- 
rated for  the  eventful  occasion." 

On  August  18,  1889,  the  new  school  was  solemnly 
dedicated  by  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Williams. 
The  Boston  Globe,  fully  alive  to  the  historic  signifi- 
cance of  the  occasion,  detailed  one  its  most  efficient 
reporters,  who  gave  the  following  complete  and  cor- 
rect account  of  the  event : 

"Yesterday  was  a  never-to-be-forgotten  day  in  the  annals 
of  the  Mission  Church,  Roxbury.  There  was  a  two-fold 
attraction,  a  powerful  sermon  at  the  morning  service  by 
Rev.  Francis  X.  Miller  of  Buffalo,  who  was  one  of  the  first 
Fathers  to  be  stationed  at  the  Mission  Church;  and  in  the 
afternoon  the  large  school  that  has  been  erected  through 
the  untiring  efforts  of  Rev.  A.  J.  Mclnerney  and  the  liberal 
contributions  of  the  parishioners,  was  solemnly  dedicated 
by  Archbishop  Williams.  Hundreds  of  people  came  from 
adjoining  towns  and  cities  to  witness  the  ceremony.  The 
Church  was  crowded.  At  3  o'clock  the  members  of  the 
archconfraternity  of  the  Holy  Family  comprising  350  men, 
wearing  badges  and  carrying  banners,  formed  in  double 
line  and  escorted  the  Archbishop  and  the  clergy  to  the 
school,  where,  with  uncovered  head  they  formed  in  double 
line  allowing  the  procession  to  pass  through.  The  cere- 
mony of  the  dedication  began  when  the  Archbishop  accom- 
panied by  the  Bishops  and  priests  marched  around  the 
school,  chanting  appropriate  psalms  and  sprinkling  the 
exterior  of  the  building  with  holy  water,  the  choir  mean- 
while singing  the  Asperges.  The  blessing  of  the  interior 


142       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

of  the  building  then  took  place  with  the  usual  ceremonies, 
and  the  procession  of  prelates  and  clergy  with  the  guard  of 
honor  returned  to  the  church,  where  the  Archbishop  occu- 
pied the  magnificent  throne,  over  which  was  a  canopy  of 
crimson  velvet  with  gold  fringe,  that  had  been  specially 
erected  for  the  occasion.  On  either  side  of  the  Archbishop 
were  Rev.  Father  Magennis  of  Jamaica  Plain  and  Rev. 
Father  Moran  of  St.  Stephen's  Church,  North  End.  Rt. 
Rev.  Bishop  McGovern  of  Harrisburg  was  attended  by 
Rev.  R.  Neagle,  Chancellor  of  the  Archdiocese  of  Boston 
and  Rev.  J.  J.  Reilly  of  the  diocese  of  Harrisburg.  Vespers 
were  then  chanted  by  the  Rev.  Father  Lambert  of  the  Mis- 
sion Church,  assisted  by  Rev.  Father  Farrell  and  Rev. 
Father  Gareis,  as  deacon  and  subdeacon.  The  sermon  was 
preached  by  Rev.  Chas.  Sigl,  C.  SS.  R.,  of  St.  Peter's 
Church,  Philadelphia. 

"The  following  is  an  abstract  of  his  discourse:  You 
must  remember,  Christian  parents,  that  when  God  gave  you 
children,  He  entrusted  a  great  treasure  to  your  care — a 
treasure  so  precious  that  all  the  gold  of  California  and 
Australia  and  all  the  islands  of  the  ocean,  amount  to  noth- 
ing compared  to  it.  He  did  not  give  you  that  treasure  as 
an  absolute  gift,  so  that  you  can  do  with  it  as  you  please; 
nor  did  He  sell  it  to  you.  After  he  has  bought  it  with  His 
own  Precious  Blood,  He  will  not  part  with  it  for  any  con- 
sideration. He  merely  entrusted  it  to  you  for  a  time  and 
will  demand  it  back.  Why  did  He  entrust  it  to  you?  That 
you  might  bring  up  that  child  for  Heaven.  You  should 
teach  it  to  know  and  to  serve  its  Maker.  Your  principal 
duty,  therefore,  is  to  educate  the  child  properly. 

"What  do  we  mean  by  education?  Plato  says  to  educate 
is  to  give  the  body  and  soul  of  man  all  the  perfection  of 
which  they  are  capable.  This  definition,  though  given  by 
a  heathen,  covers  the  ground  so  entirely,  that  even  in  the 
standard  dictionary  of  our  day  we  find  essentially  the  same 
definition  given.  Worcester  defines  the  word  to  educate, 
to  bring  forth,  develop  and  form  the  physical,  intellectual, 
and  moral  faculties  of  man.  Hence  education  to  be  perfect, 
must  develop  these  three  faculties.  An  education  that 
would  let  the  child  grow  up  puny  and  sickly  for  want  of 
healthful  exercise  and  play,  would  be  defective.  An  edu- 
cation that  would  fail  to  cultivate  the  intellect  and  judg- 
ment of  the  child  would  be  no  education.  But  though  those 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  143 

three  faculties  of  man  must  be  developed  by  education,  it 
does  not  follow  that  all  three  are  equally  important.  In- 
tellectual training  is  superior  to  mere  physical  culture,  be- 
cause intellectual  acquirements  are  the  sources  of  nobler 
and  more  exalted  enjoyments,  than  physical  strength,  health 
and  comfort.  But  moral  training  is  the  most  important, 
for  you  know  that  your  child  has  an  immortal  soul  and  will, 
therefore,  live  eternally  a  life  either  of  ineffable  bliss  or  of 
untold  misery.  The  circumstance  that  will  determine  the 
decision  of  this  judgment  of  God,  is  not  the  degree  of  physi- 
cal or  intellectual  training  but  the  behavior  of  the  soul. 
The  question  that  will  be  asked  there  is,  'Has  the  child  lived 
according  to  the  laws  of  God  and  the  practices  of  the 
Church?'  If  so,  eternal  life  will  be  its  reward,  if  not,  eternal 
damnation.  Now  this  moral  training  can  best  be  taught  in 
a  Catholic  school,  because  their  religion  will  be  taught  them 
systematically  and  practically. 

"The  speaker  then  answered  some  of  the  more  common 
objections  brought  against  separate  Catholic  education  and 
spoke  at  length  on  the  patriotism  and  love  of  country  that 
is  instilled  into  the  minds  of  the  children  in  Catholic  schools. 
Father  Sigl  concluded  by  exhorting  his  hearers  to  send 
their  children  to  the  splendid  parochial  school  now  estab- 
lished. 

"Among  the  prelates  and  clergymen  present  were:  Most 
Rev.  John  J.  Williams,  Archbishop  of  Boston;  Rt.  Rev. 
Thomas  McGovern,  Bishop  of  Harrisburg;  Very  Rev.  Will- 
iam Byrne,  V.  G.,  of  Boston ;  Rev.  R.  Neagle,  Chancellor  of 
Boston;  Rev.  Charles  B.  Rex,  President  of  the  Seminary  at 
Brighton;  Rev.  M.  Moran  of  St.  Stephen's  Church,  Bos- 
ton; Rev.  J.  W.  Supple  of  Charlestown;  Rev.  H.  Smith  of 
the  Highlands,  Rev.  Thomas  Magennis  of  Jamaica  Plain, 
Rev.  Peter  Ronan  of  Dorchester,  Rev.  Wm.  P.  McQuade, 
Rector  of  St.  James's,  Boston,  Rev.  T.  X.  Nopper  of  Boston, 
Rev.  Wm.  Fitzpatrick  of  Milton,  Rev.  P.  J.  Daily  of  the 
Highlands,  Rev.  Eugene  Grimm  of  Ilchester,  Md. ;  Rev.  Al- 
bert Stern  of  Ilchester,  Md. ;  Rev.  P.  H.  Barrett  of  Sara- 
toga Springs,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Peter  Ward  of  Saratoga  Springs, 
N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Henry  C.  Gareis  of  New  York,  Rev.  Stephen 
Krein  of  St.  John,  N.  B. ;  Rev.  F.  X.  Miller  of  Buffalo,  Rev. 
R.  Barry  of  Boston,  Rev.  Thomas  Briscoe  of  Providence, 
Rev.  L.  O'Toole  of  West  Newton,  Rev.  James  J.  Chittick  of 
Hyde  Park,  Rev.  J.  Farren  of  Harrisburg,  Rev.  J.  J.  Riley 


144       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

of  Harrisburg,  and  Rev.  Father  Wakeham  of  St.  Charles's 
College,  EUicott  City,  Md." 

On  the  night  of  August  30,  the  pioneer  band  of 
teachers,  members  of  the  order  of  the  School  Sisters 
of  the  Notre  Dame,  arrived  at  Boston  by  boat  from 
Baltimore.  Early  the  following  morning  Father  Mc- 
Inerney  went  down  to  the  pier  and  conducted  them 
in  carriages  to  their  new  home,  where  he  celebrated 
Holy  Mass  for  them.  There  were  seventeen  nuns  in 
the  party,  namely,  Sr.  M.  Elise,  Superior;  Sr.  M. 
Aloyse,  Sr.  M.  Alphonse,  Sr.  M.  Austin,  Sr.  M.  Ber- 
lindis,  Sr.  M.  Bridget,  Sr.  M.  Cornelia,  Sr.  Mary  of 
God,  Sr.  M,  Egwina,  Sr.  M.  Grace,  Sr.  M.  Rita,  Sr. 
M.  Thomasine,  Sr.  M.  Wilfred,  Sr.  M.  Wunibald. 

After  two  long  years  of  wearing  anxiety,  hard 
struggle  and  uphill  labor,  Father  Mclnerney  saw  the 
hilltops  crowned,  when  on  September  3  the  Mission 
Church  School  was  duly  opened.  The  joyful  day  was 
marked  by  a  Solemn  Mass,  of  which  Father  Beil  was 
celebrant,  Father  Lutz,  deacon,  and  Father  Sheehan, 
subdeacon.  The  church  was  crowded  with  1,200 
children  and  their  happy  parents.  After  Mass  the 
doors  of  the  school  were  thrown  open  to  the  little  ones. 
Six  out  of  every  seven  children  of  school  age  in  the 
parish  attended  the  first  session.  The  work  of  assign- 
ment to  grades  was  begun  at  once,  and  two  days  later 
the  school  was  in  full  running  order. 

The  school,  a  large  and  imposing  structure  four 
stories  high,  faces  on  Smith  Street  and  towers  above 
the  houses  which  surround  it.  It  is  166  feet  long, 
including  the  wings,  and  70  feet  wide.  It  contains 
24  classrooms  and  accommodates  more  than  1,200 
pupils  ;  one-half  of  the  building  is  occupied  by  the 
boys;  the  other  half,  by  the  girls.  The  school  hall, 
which  is  18  feet  high,  extends  through  the  entire  lower 
floor.  The  ceiling  is  of  iron,  upheld  by  massive  pil- 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  145 

« 

lars.  In  a  niche  above  the  entrance  to  the  building,  is 
a  statue  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help. 

The  Sisters'  convent,  like  the  school,  fronts  on 
Smith  Street.  Originally  it  was  only  two  stories 
high ;  but  in  1901,  owing  to  the  increase  in  the  number 
of  nuns,  Father  Frawley  added  another  story.  The 
house  is  surmounted,  for  recreation  purposes,  by  a 
modest  roof -garden. 

The  opening  of  the  parochial  school  caused  such  a 
great  falling  off  in  the  attendance  at  the  neighboring 
public  schools  that  the  authorities  became  quite  dis- 
concerted. One  of  the  Boston  papers  thus  commented 
in  part  on  the  situation  : 

"The  greatest  inroad  has  been  upon  the  Martin  School 
of  which  Mr.  Chas.  W.  Hill  is  Master.  He  has  reported  the 
loss  of  about  200  pupils,  which  is  about  one-third  of  the 
total  number  that  the  school  had  at  the  close  of  the  last 
season.  The  Comins  grammar  school  is  next  on  the  list,  as 
it  loses  about  twenty  per  cent,  or  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  pupils.  .  .  .  The  primaries,  however,  have  met 
with  proportionately  greater  losses  still,  as  the  Philips  St. 
school,  which  is  a  part  of  the  Comins  School  system,  has 
lost  about  fifty  per  cent  of  its  membership,  and  the  Smith 
St.  school,  which  is  a  part  of  the  Martin  system,  has  lost, 
it  is  estimated,  sixty  per  cent  of  its  pupils.  But  this  school 
is  but  a  small  two-room  building." 

On  March  12,  1889,  the  Rev.  Charles  Rathke, 
C.  SS.R.,  rounded  out  twenty-five  years  as  a  "chasu- 
bled  soldier"  of  the  Most  High  God.  The  happy 
event  was,  of  course,  appropriately  celebrated  ;  both 
the  parishioners  and  the  members  of  the  community 
did  all  that  lay  in  their  power  to  show  their  esteem 
and  affection  for  the  noble  priest  who  had  spent  seven 
years  and  a  half  among  them.  As  a  token  of  grati- 
tude and  good  will,  his  many  friends  presented  him 
with  a  large  mission  cross  inlaid  with  a  thousand  silver 
dollars.  Among  the  numerous  messages  of  congratu- 


146       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

lation  which  he  received,  was  one  from  the  Carmelites 
of  far-off  Leon,  Spain.  The  jubilee  preacher  was  the 
Rev.  Frederick  W.  Wayrich,  C.  SS.R.,  Rector  of  St. 
Alphonsus'  Church,  N.  Y.,  who  had  delivered  the 
sermon  at  Father  Rathke's  first  Mass. 

During  the  autumn  of  1889,  the  Rev.  Charles  W. 
Currier,  C.  SS.R.,  of  the  Mission  Church,  preached 
a  course  of  doctrinal  sermons  which  received  wide  and 
favorable  comment  from  the  Boston  papers.  The 
Globe,  in  its  issue  for  September  30,  said : 

"A  single  announcement  that  appeared  in  yesterday's 
Globe,  telling  its  many  readers  that  a  series  of  sermons 
would  be  begun  last  evening  at  the  Mission  Church,  Rox- 
bury,  by  Rev.  Charles  Warren  Currier,  C.SS.R.,  drew  many 
strangers  from  Boston  and  other  places  to  hear  the  distin- 
guished orator.  His  discourses  in  the  same  church  last  year 
will  be  remembered." 

Father  Currier's  subjects  were  :  1,  The  Need  of 
Faith  ;  2,  The  Temporal  Power  of  the  Pope  ;  3,  The 
Characteristic  Features  of  the  True  Church  ;  4,  The 
Doctrinal  Unity  of  the  True  Church  ;  5,  Unity  of 
Government  in  the  True  Church. 

Farewell  to  Father  Mclnerney. 

Since  assuming  the  duties  of  Rector  of  the  Mission 
Church,  Father  Mclnerney  had  labored  so  unremit- 
tingly for  the  welfare  of  his  parishioners  that  in  the 
early  part  of  1890,  it  became  evident  that  he  should 
have  to  be  assigned  to  an  easier  post.  When,  there- 
fore, his  term  of  office  had  expired,  in  June,  1890,  he 
was  transferred  as  Rector  to  St.  Patrick's  Church, 
Toronto,  Canada. 

The  magnificent  school  which  he  erected,  even  at 
the  sacrifice  of  his  health,  stands  as  an  imperishable 
monument  to  his  name  ;  and  the  deeds  which  he 


RKY.  Arci'STixK  MCTNKKNKY,  C.SS.R. 
Rector  1887-1890.      Died  in  Annapolis   |uly  23,  1914 


REV.  JOHN  J.  FRAWLEY,  C.SS.R. 
Rector   1890-1904 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  147 

wrought,  the  principles  for  which  he  fought,  entitle 
him  to  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  history  of  the  Mission 
Church.  At  the  time  of  his  departure,  Donahue's 
Magazine  voiced  the  universal  sentiment  in  the  fol- 
lowing just  appreciation: 

"The  Mission  Church  has  lost  its  pastor,  Rev.  A.  J. 
Mclnerney.  He  has  been  appointed  to  Toronto,  Canada, 
and  severely  felt  by  his  flock  is  this  sudden  bereavement. 
Never  was  a  pastor  more  deservedly  loved  by  a  congrega- 
tion; never  did  a  pastor  work  harder  for  the  welfare  of  a 
parish. 

"No  ordinary  man  was  he ;  hidden  under  that  humble  Re- 
demptorist  garb  was  a  perfect  mint  of  rarest  talents;  and 
as  he  pursued  the  white  path  of  his  calling,  gems  from  his 
brilliant  mind  dropped  plentifully  by  the  wayside,  and  bore 
much  fruit.  He  was  not  only  a  guide  among  his  people,  he 
was  an  educator ;  he  not  only  tended  to  spiritual  wants,  but 
sought  with  unabated  zeal  to  refine  and  elevate  the  mind  and 
impart  rare  knowledge. 

"One  must  necessarily  be  a  parishioner  to  understand 
the  richness  of  his  saintly  character.  He  was  a  worker  in 
the  severest  sense;  he  was  practical,  prudent,  careful,  one 
who  constantly  weighed  results.  His  favorite  talks  were  on 
charity;  lack  of  charity  in  the  human  heart  he  would  define 
in  his  incomparable  way,  as  'the  secret  of  ill  success  in  life.' 

"When  in  good  health  and  voice  his  sermons  were  scholar- 
ly marvels ;  his  conference  talks  in  the  basement  chapel  will 
long  be  remembered  by  those  who  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing 
them.  On  these  occasions  such  an  analyist  of  human  nature 
did  he  prove,  that  his  discourse  and  humor  adapted  itself  to 
the  particular  needs  of  each  present,  and  consequently  no 
more  efficient  instructor  or  director  of  souls  could  be  im- 
agined. His  manner  towards  his  people  was  gentleness 
itself,  as  one,  to  use  his  own  graceful  term,  studying  to 
imitate  more  nearly  the  'God  of  Sweetness.' 

"An  inspiration,  an  incentive  to  perfection,  a  light  in  the 
path  of  the  darkened,  Rev.  A.  J.  Mclnerney's  name  will 
remain  written  deep  in  the  hearts  of  the  people,  whom  he  has 
gathered  and  indefatigably  tended,  as  a  faithful  gardener, 
using  all  his  wonderful  gifts,  eloquence,  sparkling  wit,  timely 
satire,  all  as  vehicles  for  the  safe  carrying  of  souls.  He  has 


148       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

suffered  considerably  in  health  while  in  the  parish,  but  even 
so  it  will  be  hard  for  a  parishioner  to  recall  a  time  when  he 
did  not  wear  his  usual  encouraging  smile,  and  drop  his  ready 
word  of  cheer. 

"Since  his  short  stay  of  three  years,  he  has  erected  a  splen- 
did parochial  school  and  convent,  monuments  of  his  hard 
work  and  severe  cares.  He  has  left  for  Toronto  followed  by 
the  blessings  and  tears  of  an  inconsolable  people." 

IN  THE  DAYS  OF  FATHER  FRAWLEY. 

The  sorrow  caused  by  the  transfer  of  Father  Mc- 
Inerney  was  mitigated  by  the  glad  news  that  his  place 
was  to  be  taken  by  one  whom  the  people  of  the  parish, 
as  was  said  at  his  first  Mass,  might  justly  call  their 
own,  the  Rev.  John  J.  Frawley,  C.  SS.R.  Father 
Frawley,  who  at  the  time  of  his  appointment  was  an 
assistant  at  St.  Alphonsus'  Church,  N.  Y.,  arrived  at 
Boston,  June  23,  and  the  following  day,  the  Feast  of 
St.  John  Baptist,  his  holy  patron,  was  formally  in- 
stalled as  Rector. 

In  order  to  make  the  school  self-supporting,  Father 
Frawley,  on  October  15,  organized  the  School  Fund. 
The  parish  was  divided  into  thirty-three  districts,  to 
each  of  which  were  assigned  two  collectors,  whose 
duty  it  was  to  solicit  ten  cents  a  week  from  every 
family  in  their  district.  Those  who  contributed  the 
prescribed  amount  were  entitled  to  a  share  in  a  Mass 
celebrated  every  Monday  morning.  The  appeal  met 
with  a  cordial  and  encouraging  response. 

Father  Currier  and  the  Carmelite  Nuns. 

It  is  pleasant  to  recall  the  prominent  part  which 
the  Rev.  Charles  W.  Currier,  C.  SS.  R.,  played  in  the 
establishment  of  the  foundation  of  the  Discalced  Car- 
melite Nuns  in  Boston. 

During  the  Catholic  Congress  held  in  Baltimore, 
Md.,  in  November,  1889,  one  of  the  Boston  delegates 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  149 

who  called  at  the  Carmelite  Convent  in  that  city, 
learned  that  the  community  there  had  twenty-one 
members  (the  limit  allowed  by  the  rules  of  the  order) , 
and  that  applications,  some  of  which  had  come  from 
New  England,  were  being  constantly  refused.  Full 
of  zeal  for  the  glory  of  God,  he  conceived  an  ardent 
desire  of  founding  in  Boston  a  monastery  of  Mt. 
Carmel,  where  these  souls  and  others  might  be  per- 
mitted to  follow  so  holy  a  vocation.  Upon  his 
return  to  Boston,  after  the  adjournment  of  the  Con- 
gress, the  delegate  laid  the  matter  before  the  Most 
Reverend  Archbishop.  Meeting  with  no  objection, 
he  proceeded  to  call  the  attention  of  Catholic  friends, 
clerical  and  lay,  to  the  project.  At  several  confer- 
ences held  by  the  members  of  the  Catholic  Union  of 
Boston,  the  subject  of  the  foundation  of  a  Carmelite 
convent  in  the  city  was  discussed,  and  all  expressed 
themselves  in  favor  of  such  a  foundation. 

The  Rev.  Charles  W.  Currier,  C.  SS.  R.,  a  true 
friend  of  the  Carmelite  Order,  who  was  then  engaged 
in  writing  a  work  entitled,  "  Carmel  in  America," 
was  carried  away  by  the  idea,  and  at  once  resolved  to 
further  the  good  cause  by  every  means  in  his  power. 
He  informed  the  Prioress  in  Baltimore  that  a  house 
was  offered  for  sale  in  Brighton  for  $20,000,  which, 
in  his  opinion,  would  answer  all  requirements.  The 
answer  was  that  the  Carmelites  could  not  afford  to  buy 
any  property,  as  they  were  too  poor,  and  that  all  they 
desired  was  to  have  the  rent  of  a  small  house  paid  for 
them. 

As  Father  Currier  was  always  seeking  to  bring  the 
Order  to  the  notice  of  those  with  whom  he  came  in 
contact,  he  determined  to  read  a  paper  on  his  favorite 
subject  at  one  of  the  meetings  of  the  Catholic  Union, 
so  as  thus  to  intensify  the  enthusiasm  of  the  members 
for  the  proposed  foundation.  Upon  further  reflec- 


150       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

tion,  however,  he  decided  that  an  address  would 
be  more  suitable  and  effective  than  the  mere  reading 
of  a  paper.  Mr.  Samuel  Tuckerman  gladly  seized 
upon  this  idea  and  proposed  it  to  the  members  of  the 
Catholic  Union.  The  Rev.  Robert  Fulton,  S.J.,  of- 
fered the  use  of  the  Boston  College  Hall  for  the  lec- 
ture, at  the  same  time  promising  to  give  $100  towards 
a  fund  for  the  establishment  of  a  monastery.  Father 
Currier  was  requested  by  Mr.  J.  McCloskey,  in  the 
name  of  the  Catholic  Union,  to  deliver  the  address, 
and  invitations  to  the  number  of  1,600  were  sent  out. 
On  April  10,  in  the  presence  of  the  Most  Rev.  Arch- 
bishop, many  priests,  and  a  large  body  of  the  laity,  the 
lecture  was  given.  In  substance  and  in  tone,  Father 
Currier's  address  was  a  classic.  Setting  forth  in  mas- 
terly style  the  aim  and  end  of  the  Order,  he  captivated 
the  audience  and  enkindled  a  warm  aif ection  for  the 
saintly  daughters  of  the  illustrious  Theresa  of  Jesus. 

The  address  was  afterwards  published  in  pamphlet 
form  and  together  with  a  circular  signed  by  nine 
prominent  laymen,  was  sent  to  about  800  Catholics 
(250  clergymen  and  550  laymen)  with  an  urgent 
appeal  to  contribute  to  the  foundation.  Many  favor- 
able answers  were  promptly  received,  and  on  May 
31,  1890,  His  Grace  Archbishop  Williams  was  noti- 
fied that  $5,000  had  been  promised  in  aid  of  the  pros- 
pective establishment,  and  that  a  most  cordial  feeling 
towards  the  Carmelites  had  been  generally  mani- 
fested. Shortly  afterwards  the  Archbishop  invited 
the  nuns  to  begin  a  foundation  in  Boston. 

On  their  arrival  here,  Father  Currier  was  among 
those  who  met  them  at  the  railroad  station  and  con- 
ducted them  to  their  new  home  at  Centre  and  Cedar 
Streets.  On  August  28,  he  said  the  first  Holy  Mass 
in  the  monastery  and  immediately  afterwards  spoke 
briefly,  recalling  how  providentially  the  foundation 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  151 

had  been  established,  and  how  wonderfully  all  ob- 
stacles had  vanished  when  once  the  work  had  been 
undertaken.  He  then  made  a  tour  of  the  house  and 
blessed  every  room. 

The  Fathers  of  the  Mission  Church  count  it  one  of 
"The  Glories  of  Mary  in  Boston,"  that  a  former 
member  of  their  community  was  among  the  instru- 
ments chosen  by  God  to  bring  upon  this  city  the 
great  blessing  of  a  Carmelite  foundation.  They 
confidently  believe  also  that  the  success  of  their  labors 
has  been  due,  in  some  measure  at  least,  to  the  fervent 
prayers  of  the  devoted  daughters  of  St.  Theresa. 

On  Low  Sunday,  April  5,  1891,  the  Rev.  Peter 
Doyle,  C.  SS.R.,  who  had  been  ordained  the  day  be- 
fore at  Ilchester,  Md.,  by  His  Eminence  Cardinal 
Gibbons,  sang  his  first  Mass.  The  Rev.  Andrew 
Wynn,  C.  SS.  R.,  was  deacon,  the  Rev.  Henry 
Gareis,  C.  SS.  R.,  subdeacon,  and  the  Rev.  William 
Luecking,  C.  SS.  R.,  Prefect  of  Students  at  the  Re- 
demptorist  seminary,  archpriest  and  preacher. 

On  October  4,  a  grand  mission  of  three  weeks' 
duration  was  opened  in  the  church  by  four  Redemp- 
torists  from  the  St.  Louis  Province ;  the  Rev.  Fathers 
James  McLoughlin,  John  B.  MacGeough,  Thomas 
Brown,  and  James  Mayers.  At  10:30  A.  M.  the 
Rev.  Father  Rector  Frawley  and  the  officers  of  the 
Mass,  preceded  by  the  cross-bearer,  the  acolytes,  and 
the  other  altar-boys,  entered  the  sanctuary  and  pro- 
ceeded down  the  aisle  to  the  vestibule,  where  they  met 
the  missionaries,  whom  they  escorted  to  the  altar  ;  all 
the  priests  meanwhile  singing  the  Benedictus.  Sol- 
emn Mass  was  celebrated  by  the  Rev.  Michael  Cor- 
duke,  C.  SS.R.,  assisted  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Gareis, 
C.  SS.R.,  as  deacon,  and  the  Rev.  Alexander  Klau- 
der,  C.  SS.  R.,  as  subdeacon.  To  the  right  of  the  high 


152       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

altar,  a  large  black  cross  lightly  draped  in  white  linen 
lifted  its  sombre  form,  typifying  the  Mercy  of  God, 
which  blots  out  the  sins  of  the  truly  contrite. 

Of  the  dedicatory  exercises  in  honor  of  Our  Blessed 
Lady,  the  Boston  Globe  said: 

"The  dedication  services  were  of  an  unusually  solemn  and 
impressive  character.  The  vast  basilica  was  brilliantly 
illuminated  from  basement  to  dome,  the  lights  of  the  latter 
shining  far  out  in  the  darkness  and  forming  a  radiant  circle, 
which,  with  the  flood  of  golden  light  streaming  from  the 
stained  glass  windows,  could  be  seen  at  a  great  distance. 

"The  interior  of  the  church  had  been  elaborately  deco- 
rated, and  presented  a  beautiful  scene.  A  shrine,  erected  at 
the  Gospel  side  of  the  altar  in  honor  of  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
was  about  40  feet  high  by  20  feet  wide.  Designed  by  Rev. 
Henry  Gareis,  C.  SS.  R.,  it  was  a  marvel  of  taste  and  beauty 
and  harmonized  perfectly  with  the  Romanesque  architecture 
of  the  church.  Hundreds  of  twinkling  lights  upheld  by 
golden  candelabra,  gleamed  amid  a  wealth  of  choice  exotics 
and  other  potted  plants  artistically  arranged,  while  in  front 
and  on  either  side  of  the  shrine,  was  a  profusion  of  brilliant 
flowers,  mingled  with  palms  and  potted  plants,  and  from  the 
sides  depended  festoons  of  smilax. 

"Surmounting  the  shrine  was  a  magnificent  oil  painting 
of  the  Madonna  and  Child,  a  copy  from  DeSchwanden, 
which  was  encircled  by  an  arch  of  lights,  making  a  halo 
around  this  exquisite  work  of  art. 

The  harvest  reaped  was  7,563  confessions  and  five 
converts. 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  158 


SILVER  JUBILEE  OF  THE  MIRACULOUS 
PICTURE. 

A  solemn  Triduum  was  held,  December  6-8,  to 
commemorate  the  25th  anniversary  of  the  restoration 
to  public  worship  of  the  miraculous  picture  of  Our 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  in  Rome.  In  its  past  his- 
tory, famous  for  big  events,  the  Mission  Church  had 
held  many  tremendous  crowds,  but  never  any  so 
tremendous  as  those  which  assembled  on  this  occasion. 
Never  before  had  there  been  such  a  widespread  mani- 
festation of  devotion  to  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help. 
During  the  Triduum  several  wonderful  cures,  which 
will  be  described  elsewhere,  were  wrought.  The  ser- 
mons were  preached  by  the  Rev.  Frederick  W.  Way- 
rich,  C.  SS.  R.,  Rector  of  St.  Alphonsus'  Church, 
New  York.  In  an  article  on  the  close  of  the  Triduum, 
the  Boston  Pilot  for  December  19,  after  giving  the 
name  of  the  preacher,  said  : 

"There  was  much  to  inspire  him.  The  Triduum  had 
brought  out  a  marvelous  display  of  the  faith  in  the  hearts 
of  the  Catholics.  By  the  thousands  they  flocked  to  the 
church  during  the  three  days'  devotion,  not  only  from  every 
section  of  the  city,  but  from  every  state  in  New  England. 
Not  less  than  20,000,  all  told,  visited  the  shrine 
during  the  day  (Dec.  8)  God  rewarded  this  remarkable 
faith  with  remarkable  favors." 

On  March  9,  1892,  the  church  was  visited  for  the- 
second  time  by  the  dreadful  spectre  of  fire.    At  half 
past  three  in  the  morning,  Bro.   Chrysostom  saw 
flames  issuing  from  the  two  large  windows  in  the  lower 
sacristy,  and  at  once  awakened  the  other  members  of 


154       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

the  community  ;  Bro.  Xavier  sent  in  an  alarm  for  the 
fire-engines.  In  about  ten  minutes  the  firemen  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  the  fire  under  control,  but  it  took 
them  nearly  three  hours  to  extinguish  it  completely. 
The  flames  entirely  destroyed  both  the  upper  and  lower 
floors  of  the  boys'  sacristy,  and  approached  so  near  St. 
Joseph's  altar  as  to  consume  the  woodwork  beneath 
the  bricks.  How  the  fire  originated  would  be  hard  to 
say.  The  damage  to  the  sacristy  was  estimated  at 
$9,000;  to  the  vestments,  at  $6,000.  The  former  loss 
was  fully  covered  by  the  insurance  ;  the  latter,  only 
partially.  The  sympathy  manifested  by  the  people 
was  widespread  and  practical.  The  men  of  the  parish 
held  a  meeting  in  the  basement  of  the  church  the  fol- 
lowing Sunday,  March  14,  and  projected  a  movement 
to  raise  the  balance  necessary  to  cover  the  total  loss. 
The  Very  Rev.  Ferdinand  Litz,  Superior  of  the  Balti- 
more Province,  headed  the  list  with  $300.  Within 
three  months  the  requisite  sum  had  been  realized,  and 
on  May  15,  a  Solemn  Mass  was  offered  in  thanksgiv- 
to  God  for  having  preserved  the  church  from  fire. 
Happily,  the  firemen  who  had  worked  among  the 
burning  timbers  escaped  uninjured.  This  remark- 
able fact  Father  Frawley  attributed  to  the  special 
protection  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help. 

The  Blessed  Sacrament  Parish. 

At  this  juncture  in  the  history  of  the  Mission 
Church,  an  event  of  distinct  importance  took  place, 
namely,  the  birth  of  her  fair  daughter,  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  Parish. 

"In  the  last  ten  or  a  dozen  years  the  number  of  Catholic 
residents  of  Roxbury  had  largely  increased.  By  1891  the 
need  of  further  church  accommodations  was  severely  felt, 
and  Archbishop  Williams  saw  it  was  necessary  to  create 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  155 

another  parish.  This  step  had  its  objections,  and  he  ac- 
cepted, as  a  temporary  expedient,  the  proposal  of  the 
Redemptorist  Fathers  to  build  a  school  chapel  for  the 
suffering  district  within  their  lines  and  attend  it  from  the 
Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help.  With  a  view  to 
future  necessities,  the  Fathers  secured  a  lot  situated  at  the 
junction  of  Creighton  and  Centre  streets,  measuring  about 
three  acres.  Here  upon  a  site  some  rods  to  the  rear  of 
Centre  street,  a  tasteful  frame  structure  of  two  stories  was 
erected.  On  the  first  floor  were  an  office  and  six  classrooms 
suitable  for  a  school.  The  upper  floor  was  devoted  to  a 
chapel,  which,  well  lighted  and  ventilated,  was  capable  of 
seating  1,000  people.  On  May  22,  1892,  the  building  was 
dedicated  under  the  name  of  the  Chapel  of  the  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment. The  ceremony  was  performed  by  the  Archbishop, 
assisted  by  Rev.  Thomas  Magennis,  Rev.  Arthur  Connolly, 
and  Rev.  Michael  Sheehan,  C.SS.R.  Father  Magennis  was 
celebrant  of  the  High  Mass,  Fathers  Connolly  and  Sheehan 
acting  as  deacon  and  subdeacon,  respectively.  The  Rev. 
Joseph  Wissel,  C.SS.R.,  the  first  superior  of  the  Mission 
Church,  preached  the  dedicatory  sermon."  (History  of 
the  Catholic  Church  of  New  England,  Archdiocese  of  Bos- 
ton; Blessed  Sacrament  Parish,  p.  165.) 

Divine  Providence,  however,  had  its  own  wise  de- 
signs in  regard  to  the  new  church,  and  shortly  after- 
wards unforeseen  circumstances  compelled  the  Fath- 
ers to  ask  to  be  relieved  of  their  charge.  The  request 
was  granted,  and,  thereupon,  the  parish  of  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  was  formed.  On  June  19,  the  Rev.  Arthur 
Connolly,  who  had  been  appointed  pastor  of  the  new 
parish,  was  introduced  to  his  flock  by  Father  Frawley, 
and  at  once  assumed  full  charge. 

The  section  of  the  Mission  Church  parish  thus  de- 
tached, lay  south  by  southwest,  and  extended  from 
Fisher  Avenue  to  the  line  of  the  Jamaica  Plain  parish. 

Another  event  of  1892  that  stands  out  prominently 
was  the  blessing,  on  September  25,  of  the  statue  and 
the  grotto  of  Our  Lady  of  Lourdes  in  the  community 


156       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

garden.  About  three  thousand  people  witnessed  the 
ceremony.  Father  Frawley  was  celebrant,  Father 
Corduke,  deacon,  and  Father  Gareis,  subdeacon.  The 
procession,  which  was  composed  of  representatives  of 
the  five  divisions  of  the  Holy  Family  and  100  girls 
dressed  in  white,  moved  down  the  middle  aisle  of  the 
church  to  the  street,  and  through  the  large  gate  to  the 
grotto.  After  the  singing  of  the  Litany  of  Our 
Blessed  Lady  and  the  Magnificat  by  the  juvenile 
choir,  the  statue  was  blessed  by  Father  Frawley. 
Father  Sheehan  preached  from  an  improvised  pulpit 
near  the  grotto.  He  began  his  discourse  by  giving  a 
short  historical  sketch  of  the  Apparition  at  Lourdes  ; 
he  then  showed  the  designs  which  Our  Blessed  Mother 
had  in  view  in  deigning  to  appear  to  the  little  shepherd 
girl,  and  concluded  by  stating  that  the  motive  which 
prompted  Father  Frawley  to  erect  the  statue  was  one 
of  thanksgiving  to  the  Mother  of  Perpetual  Help  for 
having  preserved  the  church  from  fire.  For  an  hour 
or  two  after  the  services,  hundreds  of  people  remained 
round  the  grotto,  in  order  to  admire  its  beauty  and  to 
pray  to  Our  Lady  of  Lourdes. 

During  the  historic  celebration  in  Boston  of  the 
fourth  centenary  of  the  discovery  of  America,  the 
Mission  Church  parish  sustained,  especially  in  the 
monster  parade  of  October  21,  her  reputation  for 
doing  things  in  a  creditable  manner.  The  people 
were  carefully  trained  up  to  the  spirit  of  the  occasion 
and  to  the  part  they  were  to  play.  At  a  conference  to 
the  married  men  of  the  Holy  Family  Association  in 
the  early  part  of  the  month,  Father  Sheehan  depicted 
in  graphic  style  the  life  and  the  immortal  achievements 
of  the  great  Columbus.  On  Sunday,  the  sixteenth, 
in  another  talk  somewhat  similar  in  trend  and  tenor, 
he  called  on  all  the  men  to  celebrate  in  an  appropriate 
manner  the  glorious  anniversary.  A  day  or  two  later 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  157 

a  mass  meeting  was  held,  and  an  elaborate  program 
devised. 

On  the  eve  of  the  parade,  the  church  and  the  rectory 
were  tastefully  decorated  with  flags,  bunting,  and 
shields  emblematic  of  Spain,  Portugal,  the  United 
States,  and  the  State  of  Massachusetts;  in  the  midst 
of  the  gay  display  hung  a  large  portrait  of  Columbus. 
In  accordance  with  the  wishes  of  the  Most  Rev.  Arch- 
bishop, an  exhibition  was  given  that  night  in  the  school 
hall.  Before  an  appreciative  audience  of  1,200  peo- 
ple, the  school  children,  arrayed  in  gorgeous  costumes 
especially  designed  for  the  occasion,  presented  an 
inspiring  tableau  vivant.  The  entertainment,  in 
which  the  children  showed  remarkable  proficiency, 
consisted  of  songs,  recitations,  and  symbolic  repre- 
sentations. 

The  following  morning  the  Mission  Church  divi- 
sion, comprising  over  1,000  men,  assembled  in  front 
of  the  school,  where  the  various  units  took  their  ap- 
pointed places  as  follows  : 

1.  The  Band,  consisting  of  24  pieces. 

2.  475  married  men  of  the  Holy  Family  Association, 
wearing  badges  and  aligned  in  columns  four  deep. 

8.     Six  drummers  with  tambourines. 

4.  Six  barouches,  in  which  rode  Father  Frawley,  the 
other  Fathers,  and  certain  representative  men  of  the  parish. 

5.  Another  contingent  of  men — 350 — in  columns  of  four, 
wearing  badges. 

6.  A  beautiful  float,  with  the  "angel"  choir  of  the  parish, 
consisting  of  young  women  attired  in  costumes  that  sym- 
bolized the   sun,  moon,   and   stars.      Above  the   float  was 
suspended  a  large  American  eagle. 

7.  150  boys  dressed  in  white  blouses  and  black  knicker- 
bockers, each  boy  carrying  the  National  Flag. 

8.  A  float  representing  Columbus,  with  his  hand  on  the 
Globe,  the  aboriginal  redman,  Washington,  Franklin,  and 
other  national  celebrities. 


158       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Interspersed  in  the  procession  were  a  number  of 
standard  bearers  and  marshals  on  foot  and  in  saddle, 
each  man  wearing  a  green  badge  with  a  golden  rosette. 

On  reaching  the  church,  the  marchers  halted  with 
uncovered  head  to  admire  the  decorative  scheme. 
Two  large  pennants,  representing  the  United 
States,  were  objects  of  general  appreciation.  They 
were  suspended  gracefully  from  the  upper  win- 
dows of  the  rectory,  while  two  green  flags  with  a  gold 
harp  in  the  center,  flanked  both  sides  of  the  main  en- 
trance. From  the  church  the  men  marched  to  the 
cathedral,  where,  in  the  presence  of  the  Most  Rev. 
Archbishop,  the  clergy  of  the  diocese,  and  a  great 
number  of  the  laity,  a  statue  of  the  famous  discoverer 
was  unveiled.  Eloquent  speeches  were  made  by  Col. 
Appleton,  and  the  Portuguese  and  Italian  consuls. 

On  Sunday,  December  11,  the  Rev.  John  Cook, 
C.  SS.R.,  celebrated  his  first  Mass.  The  Rev. 
Michael  J.  Sheehan  was  deacon  and  the  Rev. 
Michael  Corduke,  C.  SS.  R.,  subdeacon.  The  Rev. 
William  G.  Luecking  was  archpriest  and 
preacher.  Father  Cook  was  ordained  December  7,  at 
Ilchester,  Md.,  by  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons. 

In  May,  1893,  a  periodical  entitled  "  The  Monthly 
Messenger  of  the  Mission  Church  Parish"  was 
launched,  with  the  Rev.  Alexander  Klauder, 
C.  SS.  R.,  as  editor.  Its  subject-matter  was  declared 
to  be  "  church  announcements,  notices  of  celebrations 
during  the  coming  month,  the  monthly  calendar  of 
feasts,  indulgences  to  be  gained,  notices  of  entertain- 
ments in  connection  with  the  parish,  accounts  of  the 
activities  of  the  various  institutions  and  societies  of 
the  church,  short  instructions  on  Catholic  faith  and 
practice."  The  prospectus  further  said  :  "  The  Mes- 
senger is  to  consist  of  16  pages,  half  of  which  is  to  be 
devoted  to  church  matter,  the  other  half  to  advertise- 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  159 

ments.  The  parish  neither  gains  nor  loses  financially 
by  the  enterprise  ;  the  advantages,  however,  of  put- 
ting notices  in  print  and  of  circulating  them  among 
the  people  are  of  incalculable  value.3'  On  the  last 
Sunday  of  every  month,  4,000  copies  were  distributed 
gratis.  The  Messenger  soon  proved  to  be  a  success 
and  became  a  permanent  institution  in  the  parish. 
Its  present  circulation  is  5,500,  an  average  of  two 
copies  for  every  family  in  the  parish  ;  thus  it  is  a  very 
effective  means  of  communication  between  priests  and 
people. 

Father  Frawley  was  originally  informed,  May  21, 
of  his  reappointment  as  Rector.  As  might  be  ex- 
pected, the  news  was  highly  gratfying  to  the  com- 
munity and  to  the  parish. 

The  Rev.  Maurice  Bonia,  C.  SS.R.,  who  had  been 
ordained  priest  August  29  at  Ilchester,  Md.,  by  His 
Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons,  celebrated  his  first  Mass 
September  3.  Father  Frawley  was  the  preacher  on 
the  occasion. 

In  October  the  Redemptorist  Fathers  of  Boston, 
represented  by  Father  Frawley,  addressed  a  petition 
to  the  Honorable  Board  of  Aldermen  to  change  the 
name  of  Bumstead  Lane  to  St.  Alphonsus  Street. 
About  two  months  later,  to  the  great  gratification  of 
all  concerned,  the  petition  was  courteously  granted. 
One  of  the  results  of  this  appropriate  move  was  that 
within  a  short  while  several  new  houses  were  built  on 
the  west  side  of  St.  Alphonsus  Street.  Attracted  by 
its  hallowed  name,  a  number  of  good  Catholic  families 
took  up  their  residence  there,  and  the  surroundings 
began  to  assume  an  air  of  decided  respectability.  In 
order  to  heighten  the  beautiful  aspect  of  the  street, 
Father  Frawley  made  improvements  in  that  section 
of  the  community  property  that  faced  thereon.  One 
or  two  outhouses,  unseemly  relics  of  a  former  day, 


160       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

were  razed  ;  the  old  fence  was  torn  down,  and  for  it 
was  substituted  a  new  one  extending  to  the  gate  ; 
above  the  gate-entrance,  the  ground  was  nicely  lev- 
elled ;  below,  it  was  beautifully  terraced. 

On  Sunday,  June  17,  1894,  the  Rev.  Eugene  Mul- 
heran,  C.  SS.  R.,  sang  his  first  Mass.  He  was  assisted 
by  Father  Frawley  as  deacon  and  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Galvin,  C.  SS.R.,  as  subdeacon.  Father  Henning 
preached  with  all  his  old-time  force  and  eloquence. 
Father  Mulheran  was  raised  to  the  dignity  of  the 
priesthood  June  14,  at  Ilchester,  Md.,  by  His  Em- 
inence Cardinal  Gibbons. 

In  September  Father  Frawley  procured  from 
"The  Little  Church  Around  the  Corner,"  in  New 
York,  a  hydraulic  organ,  which  he  installed  in  the 
upper  church.  The  old  organ,  which  had  thrilled 
many  a  heart  and  spoken  the  language  of  the  angelic 
hosts,  was  then  gently  relegated  to  the  basement. 

On  November  19,  once  more  and  for  the  third  time, 
Father  Frawley  was  designated  Rector  of  the  Mission 
Church.  His  second  term  was  a  short  one,  because 
the  new  Superior  General  of  the  Redemptorists,  the 
Most  Rev.  Mathias  Raus,  made  the  appointments  as 
soon  as  feasible  after  his  election  on  March  1,  1894, 
to  succeed  the  Most  Rev.  Nicholas  Mauron,  who  died 
July  13,  1893. 

At  the  invitation  of  the  reverend  pastor  of  old  St. 
Patrick's  Church,  Northampton  Street,  Father 
Frawley  said  Mass  there,  where,  45  years  before,  he 
had  been  baptized.  The  venerable  church  was  built  in 
1836,  when  bigotry  was  rife  and  rampant  in  Boston. 
The  Know-nothing  mob  tried  hard  to  prevent  its  erec- 
tion, and,  when  it  had  been  finished,  declared  that  no 
priest  should  ever  celebrate  Mass  in  it ;  as  a  result  it 
was  guarded  night  and  day  by  men  of  the  parish.  In 
1894,  it  was  abandoned  for  the  present  St.  Patrick's 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  161 

Church,  at  the  junction  of  Dudley  and  Magazine 
Streets,  in  the  Mt.  Pleasant  district  of  Roxbury.  The 
Mass  offered  up  by  Father  Frawley  was  attended  by 
about  500  people,  who  came  to  bid  adieu  to  the  old 
church  where  they  had  worshipped  so  long. 


The  Beautifying  of  the  Church. 

"All  the  glory  of  the  king's  daughter  is  within  in 
golden  borders,  clothed  round  about  with  varieties." 

In  1893,  Father  Frawley,  in  his  great  devotion  to 
the  Mother  of  Perpetual  Help,  conceived  the  idea  of 
decorating  and  thoroughly  renovating  the  church. 
His  views  on  this  point  were  clearly  expressed  in  the 
following  lines  which  appeared  in  the  Messenger  for 
July,  1894: 

"The  architectural  beauty  of  the  Mission  Church  is  be- 
yond question.  Everybody  who  beholds  the  church  for  the 
first  time  is  struck  with  surprise  and  wonder,  but  the  usual 
exclamation  follows,  'What  a  grand  church  it  will  be  when 
finished!'  The  members  of  the  Mission  Church  parish  are 
proud  of  their  church,  but  all  seem  to  think,  and  most  admit, 
that  there  is  a  great  deal  of  room  for  improvement. 

"Yes,  we  must  begin  now  to  improve  the  church.  The 
walls,  which  in  some  places  have  been  shedding  their  plaster, 
must  be  painted  or  in  other  ways  secured  against  that  defect. 
The  once  white  walls  that  have  become  unsightly  must  be 
tinted  and  decorated.  But  what  is  most  important  of  all 
is — the  building  of  new  altars,  especially  of  a  grand  high 
altar.  Nothing  temporary  must  be  put  up.  It  would  be  a 
waste  of  money.  Nothing  that  would  be  an  apology  for  a 
grand  altar,  in  imitation  of  something  better,  would  be 
satisfactory.  Only  a  genuine  article  of  the  largest  and 
grandest  design  and  of  the  best  material,  all  in  keeping  with 
the  noble  architecture  of  the  church,  will  answer  the  expecta- 
tions and  purposes  of  the  Mission  Church  people. 

"The  improvement  of  the  choir  and  the  building  of  a 


162       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

first-class  organ  are  further  requisites  of  the  general  scheme 
of  embellishing  the  church." 

As  Father  Frawley  viewed  the  church  in  its  bare, 
rough  finish,  he  felt  that  if  placed  in  the  hands  of  an 
able  and  experienced  artist,  it  would  be  transformed 
into  a  magnificent  temple;  and  since  the  field  for 
decorating  was  so  fertile  in  fine  possibilities,  it  would 
be  a  shame  to  neglect  a  work  which  would  enhance  so 
much  "The  Glories  of  Mary  in  Boston."  But,  as 
we  have  already  implied,  the  decoration  of  the  church 
was  only  one  item  of  the  comprehensive  plan  of  im- 
provement. Other  points,  not  previously  men- 
tioned, were  :  the  execution  of  mural  paintings,  the 
inlaying  of  the  floors  of  the  sanctuary  and  the  sacristy 
with  mosaics,  the  marbleizing  of  the  walls,  the  erection 
of  new  Stations  of  the  Cross,  the  installation  of  new 
stained-glass  windows,  the  addition  of  electric  fixtures 
for  lights  to  be  used  on  extraordinary  occasions,  and 
last,  but  by  no  means  least,  the  beautifying  of  the 
Shrine  of  Our  Lady. 

The  task  before  Father  Frawley  was  no  child's 
play;  on  the  contrary  it  was  a  man's  job  of  staggering 
magnitude.  No  one  realized  this  better  than  he,  but, 
being  a  man  of  initiative  and  courage,  he  did  not 
shrink  from  the  responsibility.  Naturally  prudent 
and  foresighted,  he  carefully  studied  and  weighed 
every  phase  and  element  of  the  great  undertaking. 
He  realized  clearly  that  part  would  have  to  answer 
to  part,  and  all  details  combine  to  form  one  mighty 
whole.  He  grasped  the  entire  situation  perfectly  and 
went  about  the  work  scientifically.  There  was  no 
blind  guesswork,  no  trusting  to  luck,  no  leaping  in  the 
dark  in  the  foolhardy  hope  of  somehow  or  other  land- 
ing safely. 

Competitive  bids  were  opened.  After  lengthy  con- 
sultation with  experts  and  patient  and  exhaustive 


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THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  163 

study  of  the  many  plans  and  specifications  submitted, 
Father  Frawley  awarded  the  contract  for  the  decorat- 
ing to  the  firm  of  L.  Haberstroh  &  Son  of  Boston ; 
the  mural  painting  was  entrusted  to  Mr.  William 
Lamprecht  of  New  York,  the  greatest  portrait-artist 
in  America  ;  the  contract  for  the  marble  altar  went 
to  V.  A.  Fucigni  of  New  York;  and,  for  the  mosaic 
work  to  C.  J.  Purcell  of  New  York.  The  marbleizing 
of  the  walls  was  given  to  L.  O.  Garrett,  and  of  the 
pilasters  and  columns  to  L.  Haberstroh  &  Son. 

On  Easter  Monday,  April  15,  1895,  the  carpenters 
began  to  erect  the  staging  in  the  church,  preparatory 
to  the  work  of  decorating.  The  Sacred  Image  of  the 
Mother  of  Perpetual  Help  was  privately  removed  to 
the  basement,  where  at  the  same  time  were  set  up  five 
confessionals  which  had  been  used  in  the  old  church 
in  the  early  seventies. 

A  Collection  Committee  was  organized  August  18, 
under  the  direction  of  the  Rev.  Henry  Gareis, 
C.  SS.  R.,  and  it  was  announced  that  those  who  would 
contribute  the  desired  amount  to  the  erection  of  the 
high  altar  would  have  their  names  inscribed  in  a  silver 
heart.  The  Monthly  Messenger  said: 

"We  desire  very 'much  to  have  the  names  of  all  those  who 
contribute  to  the  erection  of  the  altar  placed  in  a  beautiful 
niche  in  the  altar,  near  the  Tabernacle.  Two  hearts  of 
silver  lined  with  gold  will  be  deposited  in  this  niche.  One, 
the  larger  of  the  two,  is  to  represent  the  Sacred  Heart  of 
Jesus ;  the  other,  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Mary.  .  .  ." 

The  two  hearts  were  made  by  the  Gorham  Manu- 
facturing Co.  of  Providence,  R.  I.  On  both  are  en- 
graved the  words,  "Mission  Church"  and  "God 
bless  the  donors."  They  were  both  imbedded  in  the 
altar  itself,  as  an  eternal  memorial  of  the  generosity 
of  those  who  gave  the  stated  sum  to  the  Church  Dec- 


164       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

oration  Fund.     Every  week  Holy  Mass  is  said  for 
those  whose  names  are  inscribed  in  the  Hearts. 

With  the  blessing  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help, 
the  great  work  begun  for  her  honor  and  glory  pro- 
gressed smoothly  and  rapidly.  On  November  7,  the 
first  shipment  of  the  high  altar  was  received  from 
Italy.  The  same  day  Mr.  Alcan,  an  artist  of  recog- 
nized ability,  began  the  execution  of  the  mosaics. 
About  three  weeks  later,  the  staging  was  removed 
and  all  the  manifold  beauties  of  the  decorator's  art 
were  revealed.  The  Stations  of  the  Cross  arrived 
February  14, 1896,  and  a  few  days  later  were  canoni- 
cally  erected  by  the  Rev.  Father  Leonard,  O.  S.  F. 
On  the  16th,  the  Communion  rail  came  from  Italy, 
and  the  handsome  crystal  crucifix,  the  gift  of  Senator 
John  F.  Cronan,  from  France.  From  February  24 
to  March  6,  the  marble- workers  were  engaged  in 
erecting  the  Communion  rail. 

On  March  9,  the  old  wooden  high  altar  was  dis- 
mantled and  demolished.  Although  it  had  been  in 
existence  only  eighteen  years,  many  happy  recollec- 
tions clustered  round  it.  At  it  more  than  20,000 
Masses  had  been  said,  and  nearly  3,000  of  the  younger 
generation  had  received  their  first  Holy  Communion; 
while  to  souls  unnumbered  it  had  been  what  the  Pillar 
of  the  Cloud  by  day  and  the  Pillar  of  Fire  by  night 
were  to  the  chosen  people  of  God  wandering  through 
the  desert.  The  last  Mass  at  the  altar  was  celebrated 
by  the  Rev.  Maurice  Bonia,  C.  SS.R.,  of  Quebec. 
Canada. 


TttE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  165 


"The  Second  Spring" 

"  The  winter  is  now  past,  the  rain  is  over  and  gone 
.  .  .  Arise,  my  love,  my  beautiful  one  and  come." 

v 

As  we  have  previously  mentioned,  during  the  reno- 
vation of  the  upper  church  the  wonder-working  pic- 
ture of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  was  relegated 
to  the  basement.  She  who  is  "  as  fair  as  the  moon  " 
had  suffered  an  eclipse.  A  dreary  winter  had  settled 
over  Her  whose  sweet  presence  brings  springtime  in 
the  life  of  the  soul.  But  with  the  advent  of  the  month 
of  May,  the  shadows  were  lifted,  the  frost  was 
loosened,  and  Our  Blessed  Mother  came  forth  from 
the  gloom  and  the  rime,  to  take  her  place  of  honor 
again  at  the  Shrine.  Father  Frawley  determined  to 
invest  the  re-enthronement  of  the  Sacred  Image  with 
the  most  impressive  and  magnificent  ceremonies,  so 
as  to  make  it  an  event  that  should  never  fade  from  the 
memory.  For  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  it  was 
to  be  the  "  coming  in  of  a  Second  Spring."  The  flow- 
ers were  to  appear  in  our  land  ;  the  fig-tree  was  to 
put  forth  its  green  figs  ;  the  vines  in  flower  were  to 
yield  their  sweet  smell. 

Sunday,  May  3,  was  the  date  set  for  the  apotheosis 
of  the  Blessed  Mother.  At  7:30  P.  M.,  the  head  of 
the  procession  emerged  from  the  basement ;  the  or- 
chestra struck  up  a  soul-stirring  piece,  every  light  was 
flashed  on,  a  splendor  almost  like  that  of  noonday 
prevailed,  and  the  church  became  the  Enchanted 
Palace  of  Mary.  Father  Corduke  was  celebrant  of 
the  rite,  Father  Galvin,  deacon  and  Father  Corr, 
subdeacon.  Twelve  girl  graduates  of  the  parochial 
school  carried  the  picture  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 


166       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Help,  and  immediately  behind  it  walked  the  two  griz- 
zled veterans,  the  Rev.  Father  O'Connor  and  the  Rev. 
Father  Gates,  who  were  preaching  the  glories  of  Mary 
in  the  days  of  the  old  church.  As  the  procession  moved 
gracefully  up  the  aisle,  the  sweet,  clear,  silvery  voices 
of  600  children  were  raised  heavenward  in  praise  of 
the  Holy  Virgin,  and  every  heart  was  stirred  with 
love  of  Her  who  has  a  mother's  heart  for  all.  The 
splendid  music  of  the  orchestra,  the  deeply  devotional 
hymns,  the  dazzling  array  of  banners,  nodding  as  if 
in  prayer,  the  immaculate  white  dresses  of  300  little 
girls,  who  radiated  the  delightful  charm  of  childish 
simplicity,  the  happy,  innocent  faces  of  300  little  boys, 
the  richly-robed  priests,  and,  above  all,  the  burning 
love  and  devotion  strikingly  manifested  by  nearly 
2,700  loyal  clients  of  Our  Blessed  Lady — all  con- 
tributed to  make  the  event  one  which  the  heavenly 
host  and  the  Queen  of  Heaven  must  have  been  de- 
lighted to  contemplate.  The  sermon,  a  beautiful 
tribute  to  the  peerless  Mother  of  God,  was  preached 
by  Father  Frawley.  He  was  truly  eloquent  because 
he  spoke  the  language  of  the  heart,  the  language 
which  Our  Lord  Himself  used  when  He  conversed 
with  His  Holy  Mother  in  the  quiet  seclusion  and 
blessed  peace  of  Nazareth.  The  coronation  ceremony 
was  brought  to  a  fitting  close  with  the  singing  of 
"Holy  God,  We  Praise  Thy  Name." 

The  Mission  Church  When  Renovated. 

By  the  end  of  August,  1896,  the  renovation  of  the 
Mission  Church,  excepting  the  installation  of  the  new 
organ,  was  complete.  At  that  time  art  critics  of  wide 
experience  and  sound  judgment  gave  it  as  their  pro- 
fessional opinion  that  in  every  respect  the  church  was 
entitled  to  be  called  very  beautiful.  The  artists,  after 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  167 

a  careful  study  of  the  architecture  of  the  edifice, 
judged  aright  the  greatness  of  their  opportunities, 
and,  in  the  event,  rose  fully  level  to  them.  The  high 
altar,  the  Stations  of  the  Cross,  the  stained-glass 
windows,  the  dado  and  the  marbleized  work,  the  mural 
decorations,  and  the  figure  paintings  were  all  con- 
ceived and  executed  in  perfect  liarmony  with  the 
noble  architectural  lines  of  the  church. 

The  high  altar  is  of  pure  white  Carrara  marble 
wrought  in  Italy,  especially  for  the  church.  Its  deli- 
cate tracery,  which  reveals  the  deft  touch  of  the 
master,  at  once  excites  admiration.  In  the  central 
niche  is  a  statue  of  the  Mother  of  Sorrows  holding  a 
crown  of  thorns.  Her  sweet  countenance  is  eloquently 
expressive  of  tender  love  of  her  Divine  Son  and  of 
deep  grief  over  His  sufferings  and  death.  The  atten- 
tion of  the  observer  is  instantly  attracted  by  the  won- 
derful expression  of  the  eyes,  which  tell  so  graphically 
the  story  of  the  seven-edged  sword  of  sorrow.  Other 
noteworthy  points  are  the  naturalness  of  each  fold  of 
the  garments,  the  gracefulness  of  each  curve  of  the 
limbs,  and  the  precision  of  each  facial  lineament. 
This  statue,  like  the  altar,  is  of  Carrara  marble  and 
is  chiselled  from  one  block.  On  the  Gospel  side  of 
the  altar,  is  a  statue  of  St.  Michael  with  drawn  sword  ; 
on  the  Epistle  side,  a  statue  of  St.  Gabriel  holding  a 
scroll  with  the  device,  "Ave  Maria."  The  niches  are 
finished  in  mosaic  and  gold  leaf  and  when  illuminated 
present  a  splendid  appearance. 

The  floor  of  the  sanctuary  is  inlaid  with  mosaics 
and  ornamented  with  two  elegant  designs  :  first,  the 
grapevine  and  the  wheat,  emblematic  of  the  Holy 
Sacrifice  of  the  Mass  ;  and,  second,  the  angel,  the 
eagle,  the  ox,  and  the  lion — the  conventional  symbols 
of  the  four  Evangelists.  The  Communion  rail  is  of 
white  marble  delicately  carved  and  is  supported  by 


168       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

columns  of  onyx.     The  Stations  of  the  Cross  are 
carved  in  relief,  and  are  tinted  with  cream  and  gold. 

The  stained-glass  windows,  the  typical  high-grade 
Munich  product,  are  in  complete  accord  with  the  other 
beauties  of  the  church. 

The  Cronan  window  (gift  of  Hon.  John  F.  Cro- 
nan)   portrays  the  'apparition  of  Our  Lord  to  St. 
Mary  Margaret  Alacoque.    The  Saint  is  seen  on  her 
knees,  her  humble  countenance  filled  with  astonish- 
ment   at    the    thought    that     she    has     been     se- 
lected   for    the    sublime    task    of    propagating  de- 
votion to  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus.    The  scene  of 
the  manifestation,  the  convent  garden,  adds  life  and 
animation  to  the  picture.    The  observer  sees  the  birds 
fluttering  in  the  trees,  while  at  the  feet  of  the  Saint 
the  scarlet  rose  and  the  immaculate  lily,  apt  symbols 
of  love  and  purity,  are  gracefully  blooming  with  a 
beauty  caught  from  the  Eternal  Gardens.  Our  Divine 
Saviour  is  represented  pointing  to  His  Sacred  Heart, 
while  explaining  to  His  chosen  servant  the  priceless 
treasures  of  His  Infinite  love.     His  majestic  coun- 
tenance reveals  His  deep  grief  over  the  black  ingrati- 
tude of  men,  in  spite  of  His  boundless  and  all-embrac- 
ing love  for  them.    Nearby  are  angels  adoring  Him 
who  has  made  man  "a  little  less  than  the  angels." 

The  Children's  Window. — The  school  children,  not 
to  be  outdone  by  their  elders,  donated  a  beautiful  win- 
dow representing  one  of  the  most  touching  scenes 
spoken  of  in  the  Gospel,  Jesus  blessing  the  children 
who  had  been  brought  to  Him  by  their  parents. 
"  Suffer  the  little  children,  and  forbid  them  not  to 
come  to  me,  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  of  such." 
Our  Lord  is  pictured  sitting  alongside  of  a  well.  Two 
naive  little  tots  approach  Him  ;  the  one  puts  its  hands 
on  the  lap  of  Christ ;  the  other  kneels  at  His  feet. 
The  two  men  standing  to  one  side  are  Peter  and  John. 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  169 

Jesus  lays  His  sacred  hands  on  the  children,  and  two 
pure  hearts  are  filled  with  joy,  and  two  fond  mothers 
beam  with  delight. 

The  Hanley  Window  (gift  of  Col.  P.  T.  Hanley) 
depicts  in  vivid  colors  that  sombre  mystery  in  which 
were  concentrated  all  the  mental  sufferings  of  Our 
Lord  —  His  Agony  in  the  Garden.  The  Comforting 
Angel,  with  the  chalice  in  his  hands,  is  seen  hovering 
over  Jesus,  who  has  just  waded  through  the  Red  Sea 
of  His  Blood,  but  is  calm  and  tranquil  again  and  per- 
fectly resigned  to  the  Adorable  Will  of  His  Heavenly 
Father.  Our  Divine  Saviour  welcomes  the  Heavenly 
Messenger  and  nerves  Himself  to  drain  the  bitter  cup 
to  the  very  dregs.  A  short  distance  away,  we  behold 
the  disciples  fast  asleep.  "  Could  you  not  watch  one 
hour  with  me?"  The  ever-impetuous  Peter  is  repre- 
sented with  his  sword  at  his  side ;  John  is  slumbering 
soundly,  with  His  head  on  the  lap  of  James,  whose 
arm  is  thrown  round  the  neck  of  the  Beloved  Dis- 
ciple. 

The  Connolly  Window  (gift  of  Bartholomew  Con- 
nolly) shows  Mary  Magdalen  immediately  after  she 
has  finished  anointing  the  feet  of  Jesus.  She  has  just 
heard  the  blessed  word  of  forgiveness,  and  appears  the 
very  personification  of  humility  and  contrition.  In 
striking  contrast  with  her  demeanor,  is  the  attitude  of 
Simon,  who  holds  up  his  hands  in  horror  at  the  thought 
that  Jesus  should  allow  such  an  infamous  sinner  to 
approach  Him.  Even  the  Apostles,  one  of  whom  is 
evidently  St.  John,  are  astonished  at  this  act  of  infinite 
mercy  and  condescension  on  the  part  of  their  Master. 

The  Holy  Family  Window  (gift  of  the  Archcon- 
fraternity  of  the  Holy  Family)  presents  a  beautiful 
scene  in  the  humble  house  at  Nazareth.  The  day's 
work  finished,  Mary  is  engaged  in  holy  meditation. 
The  Boy,  John  Baptist,  who  is  visiting  his  Cousin,  is 


170       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

frolicking  with  a  pet  lamb  ;  the  Divine  Child  is  play- 
ing with  chips  of  wood  which  have  fallen  from  Jo- 
seph's bench.  Suddenly  Jesus  becomes  thoughtful. 
Apparently  by  accident,  but  really  by  design,  He  has 
formed  a  cross,  the  sight  of  which  awakens  in  His 
mind  the  awful  thought  of  His  bitter  Passion  and 
Death.  A  sudden  silence  falls  on  the  little  group. 
Mary  suspends  her  reading  and  gazes  with  sympa- 
thetic and  loving  interest  at  her  Divine  Son.  Joseph 
looks  intently  at  the  expressive  symbol  which  will  one 
day  claim  the  Heavenly  Child  as  a  Redeeming  Vic- 
tim. Even  the  little  John  stops  his  childish  pranks, 
in  order  to  study  the  strange  figure  fashioned  by  the 
hands  of  his  Cousin.  St.  Elizabeth  is  just  about  to 
enter  the  room,  and;  noticing  the  grave  looks  of  the 
sacred  circle,  understands  that  something  unusual  has 
occurred.  In  a  moment  she,  too,  will  learn  the  reason 
of  the  pensive  silence  ;  she,  too,  will  see  the  ominous 
miniature  of  Calvary's  Cross. 

The  Hynds  Window  (gift  of  Ann  Hynds)  has  for 
its  subject  the  Visitation  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  to  her 
cousin  Elizabeth.  A  smiling  landscape,  diversified  by 
hills  and  vales  and  swelling  uplands,  and  arched  by 
a  clear  blue  sky,  is  unfolded  to  our  view.  In  the  fore- 
ground we  behold  two  women  ;  the  one,  long  past  the 
meridian  of  life ;  the  other,  still  in  the  early  morning 
of  her  earthly  career.  Elizabeth  has  seen  the  Holy 
Virgin  crossing  the  hills,  and  knowing  by  divine  revel- 
ation what  great  wonders  God  has  wrought  in  Her, 
goes  out  to  meet  Her,  and  falling  on  her  knees,  greets 
Her  for  the  first  time  as  the  Mother  of  the  Redeemer. 
Mary,  filled  with  joy  at  the  thought  of  the  marvels 
that  have  been  accomplished  in  Her,  extends  her  arms 
in  affectionate  greeting,  and  in  an  ecstacy  of  love, 
sings  the  praises  of  God  in  the  sublime  canticle  of  the 
Magnificat. 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  171 

The  Conroy  Window  (in  memory  of  the  Rev.  John 
A.  B.  Conroy)  delights  the  eye  with  the  famous  ap- 
parition of  Our  Blessed  Mother  at  Lourdes.  Her  rai- 
ment suggests  the  splendors  of  heaven;  the  mantle  is 
of  purest  white ;  round  it  is  a  girdle  of  blue,  falling  in 
two  long  bands  to  within  a  short  distance  from  the 
feet,  which  are  adorned  with  two  roses  of  golden  hue  ; 
a  white  veil  covers  her  head,  and  a  chaplet  hangs  from 
her  hand.  The  little  girl  to  whom  she  appears,  Berna- 
dette  Soubirous,  has  fallen  on  her  knees,  and  with 
wonder  and  awe  contemplates  the  entrancing  vision. 
At  the  feet  of  the  Immaculate  Queen  is  seen  the  mir- 
aculous spring  whose  waters  have  brought  health  and 
strength  to  millions  of  stricken  ones  the  world  over. 
Some  distance  away,  we  behold  the  beautiful  church 
erected  in  honor  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  by  the  faithful 
of  France. 

The  Kennedy  Window  (gift  of  John  J.  and  Louisa 
J.  Kennedy)  portrays  the  Annunciation  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin  Mary.  The  Archangel  Gabriel  is 
represented  in  the  act  of  entering  the  room  of  the 
humble  Virgin  at  Nazareth,  and  making  known  to 
Her  the  glad  tidings  that  She  has  been  chosen  to  be  the 
Mother  of  the  Redeemer.  Mary,  engaged  in  prayer, 
is  aroused  from  her  meditation  by  the  entrance  and 
the  salutation  of  the  celestial  courier;  She  is  startled 
and  troubled  at  the  tremendous  import  of  his  words. 
Her  difficulty  settled,  She  gives  her  consent,  and  a  ray 
of  light  from  the  Holy  Spirit  is  seen  descending  on 
Her.  "  The  Holy  Ghost  shall  come  upon  thee,  and  the 
power  of  the  Most  High  shall  overshadow  thee." 
The  Archangel,  clothed  with  the  majesty  of  Heaven, 
bears  a  scroll  with  the  words  "  Hail  Mary."  His  fiery 
wings,  symbolizing  his  burning  love  of  God,  intensify 
the  magnificence  of  the  sublime  picture. 

The  Carberry  Window  (gift  of  Hon.  William  G. 


172       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Carberry  and  Wife)  perpetuates  the  memory  of  a 
famous  incident  in  the  life  of  St.  Alphonsus.  When, 
in  1731,  the  town  of  Foggia,  in  Naples,  had  been 
ravaged  by  a  terrible  earthquake,  the  saintly  Bishop 
of  the  diocese  was  anxious  to  have  his  people  profit 
spiritually  by  the  calamity.  In  the  place,  there  was 
venerated  a  very  ancient  and  wonderful  picture  of  the 
Mother  of  God.  St.  Alphonsus,  who  had  been  preach- 
ing a  mission  in  the  neighborhood,  was  invited  by  the 
zealous  Bishop  to  conduct  a  novena  in  her  honor  at 
Foggia.  The  crowd  that  came  to  the  exercises  was  so 
immense  that  many  could  not  gain  admission  to  the 
church.  The  picture  was  then  placed  on  a  temporary 
altar  at  the  door,  where  the  Saint  preached  so  as  to  be 
heard  by  those  outside.  One  day,  thinking  himself 
alone,  he  went  to  examine  the  miraculous  painting 
more  closely,  but  he  had  scarcely  begun  to  do  so  when 
his  heart  became  so  inflamed  with  love  for  Her  who 
had  lavished  on  him  so  many  favors,  that  in  an  instant 
he  was  rapt  into  ecstasy.  He  was  raised  several  feet 
from  the  ground  and  remained  suspended  in  the  air, 
while  a  dazzling  shaft  of  light  issuing  from  the  pic- 
ture, suffused  his  countenance  with  a  heavenly  glow. 
This  extraordinary  manifestation  lasted  fully  an  hour. 
The  original  picture  is  still  preserved  in  the  Redemp- 
torist  house  at  Ciorani,  Italy.  A  study  of  the  window 
shows  that  it  reproduces  with  the  greatest  fidelity 
every  detail  of  the  marvelous  occurrence. 

The  Sproules  Window  (gift  of  Thos.  F.  and  Ann 
Sproules)  brings  home  to  us  the  ever-blessed  scene  of 
the  first  Christmas.  With  exquisite  charm  it  por- 
trays the  Incarnate  Beauty  of  the  Divine  Infant,  who, 
though  suffering  keenly  from  his  miserable  surround- 
ings, reveals  not  the  slightest  trace  of  pain  on  His 
sweet  face.  A  heavenly  smile  plays  about  His  lovely 
lips  ;  His  little  arms  are  outstretched  in  welcome  ;  we 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  173 

can  almost  hear  Him  inviting  us  to  come  and  rest  on 
His  bosom.  In  rapturous  delight  Mary  is  kneeling 
at  the  side  of  Jesus.  For  very  joy  She  cannot  speak, 
but  her  look  expresses  the  ineffable  bliss  that  fills  her 
soul.  Joseph,  beside  himself  with  awe  and  wonder- 
ment, profoundly  adores  the  Great  God  of  Heaven 
and  Earth,  in  the  guise  of  a  helpless  Babe.  The  Angel 
near  the  Crib  is  lost  in  admiration  at  the  infinite  hu- 
mility of  his  All-powerful  King.  The  two  lowly  shep- 
herds are  the  picture  of  innocence  and  simplicity  ;  the 
one  has  quickly  removed  his  hat  and  thrown  aside  his 
crook  ;  the  other,  having  brought  along  his  flute,  is 
regaling  the  Heavenly  Babe  with  a  tune  familiar  to 
the  shepherds  of  Judea. 

The  Whelton  Window  (in  memory  of  Bartholomew 
Whelton)  depicts  the  Finding  of  the  Child  Jesus  in 
the  Temple.  In  vivid  form  we  behold  Him,  a  beautiful 
Boy,  explaining  to  the  Doctors  in  the  Temple  the 
meaning  of  some  obscure  passage  in  the  Law.  One  of 
them  holds  an  open  book,  while  gazing  in  admiration  at 
the  Youthful  Prodigy ;  two  others,  lost  in  wonder,  are 
intently  studying  the  Child;  while  a  fourth,  appar- 
ently not  fully  convinced,  is  vainly  striving  to  find  a 
passage  which  will  contradict  the  explanation  of  the 
Infinite  Wisdom.  At  the  entrance  of  the  Temple, 
we  see  the  familiar  figures  of  Mary  and  Joseph,  who, 
at  last  after  three  days'  search,  have  found  the  ob- 
ject of  their  fond  love. 

The  Gately  Window  (gift  of  Rose  and  Bridget 
Gately)  exhibits  Our  Divine  Lord  in  the  act  of  con- 
ferring on  St.  Peter  the  Keys  of  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven.  The  three  figures  standing  to  one  side  rep- 
resent the  disciples  who  were  with  Peter.  They  are 
closely  watching  him,  and  seem  to  be  greatly  affected 
by  his  humility  ;  they  show  evident  signs  of  deep 
reverence  for  him,  whom  Jesus  is  investing  with  the 


174       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

authority  of  Prince  of  the  Apostles.  In  the  distance, 
one  sees  clearly  the  outlines  of  St.  Peter's,  in  Rome, 
resting  on  a  rock,  and  is  thus  reminded  of  the  words 
of  Christ  to  Peter,  "Thou  art  Peter,  and  on  this 
Rock  I  will  build  my  Church."  This  window  was  the 
last  to  be  put  in. 

Although,  at  this  writing,  the  entire  decorative 
scheme  of  the  church  is  being  changed,  nevertheless, 
the  artists  did  excellent  work  in  1896.  In  order  to 
emphasize  the  structural  beauties  of  the  edifice,  the 
decorators  made  it  a  fundamental  principle  to  retain 
the  keynote  color :  a  warm,  opalescent  gray  and  ivory, 
which  is  seen  especially  in  the  variegated  Scotch 
polished  granite  columns  which  support  the  arches  of 
the  church. 

The  color  of  the  walls,  above  the  scagliola 
wainscoting,  was  a  soft  gray,  which,  as  it  approached 
the  ceiling,  gradually  shaded  off  into  a  pleasing  ivory- 
tint.  The  nice  gradation  thus  achieved  required  great 
technical  skill  and  a  highly-developed  sense  of  color. 

The  sharply-groined  ceiling  of  the  nave  was  beauti- 
fully decorated,  the  numerous  panels  having  been 
bordered  with  elegant  designs,  each  filling  exactly  its 
appointed  place,  and  all  maintaining  a  perfect  bal- 
ance. The  panels  were  of  an  atmospheric  grayish 
green — a  tint  restful,  soothing  and  serene.  The 
borders  were  of  soft  ivory,  with  excellent  tracery  in 
mild  iridescent  tones  emphasized  in  gold.  The  ribs 
of  the  arches,  which  were  of  a  delicate  ivory,  served  to 
furnish  sharp  outlines  against  the  borders  on  each 
side.  At  the  intersection  of  the  ribs  were  bas-reliefs, 
ivory-tinted  and  enriched  with  bands  of  gold.  The 
ceiling  of  the  dome  constituted  a  very  striking  feature 
of  the  decorative  scheme  ;  the  color  was  exceedingly 
light,  with  a  heavy  gold  treatment,  the  beauty  of  which 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  175 

was  enhanced  by  the  delicate  amber-  and  rose-tint  of 
the  stained-glass  windows. 

The  design  of  the  ceiling  was  a  rich  silvery  green 
ground,  with  bright  stars  modeled  in  low  relief  and 
gilded.  The  four  pendentives  beneath  the  dome  con- 
tained paintings  of  the  four  Evangelists,  in  deep  colors 
on  a  background  of  pure  gold.  The  borders  of  the 
panels  were  of  a  light  cream  color,  with  detached 
ornaments  in  red,  peacock-blue,  and  gold;  the  sur- 
rounding architectural  moldings  were  of  light  ivory. 
Round  the  base  of  the  dome  were  columns  of  mild 
sienna,  with  old  ivory  capitals  gilded. 

In  the  clearstory,  above  the  big  granite  columns 
which  extend  round  the  entire  nave  and  support  the 
arches  of  the  triforium,  were  beautifully  marbleized 
columns  of  sienna  and  onyx,  of  soft  roseate  hue,  dec- 
orated with  pure  gold  and  surmounted  by  carved  capi- 
tals of  old  ivory.  The  spandrels  of  the  clearstory 
arches  were  adorned  with  emblematic  tracery  in  soft, 
tranquil  color.  The  arches,  architectural  cornices  and 
moldings  were  of  a  quiet  ivory,  while  the  soffits  of  the 
main  clearstory  arches  bore  a  beautiful  design  painted 
in  light  warm  colors,  with  deep,  richly  tinted  back- 
ground. Above  the  triforium  arches  were  stained- 
glass  windows  with  elegant  borders  of  painted  mosaic. 

The  portrait-  or  figure-paintings  contributed  won- 
derfully to  the  impressive  beauty  of  the  church.  The 
most  striking  painting  was  the  Crowning  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin  as  Queen  of  Heaven,  which  graced  the 
whole  chancel  arch  or  dome  of  the  sanctuary.  The 
central  figures  were,  of  course,  Jesus  and  Mary. 
Seated  on  a  throne  of  clouds  in  an  atmosphere  of 
golden  glory,  God  the  Son  was  portrayed  in  the  act 
of  placing  the  crown  upon  the  head  of  His  Immacu- 
late Virgin  Mother,  who  was  kneeling  at  His  feet. 


176      THE  GLORIES  OP  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

The  contrast  of  the  colors  was  remarkably  fine.  Under 
the  eye  of  the  observer,  the  background  of  fervid 
gold  seemed  to  grow  richer.  It  presented  a  scene  akin 
to  those  sometimes  witnessed  in  glorious  sunsets,  which 
instinctively  raise  the  heart  to  things  divine.  The 
spell  of  the  golden  background  was  intensified  by  the 
rich  red  mantle  of  Jesus  and  the  azure  blue  robes  of 
the  Blessed  Virgin.  God  the  Holy  Ghost,  under  the 
form  of  a  dove,  could  be  seen  with  outstretched  wings 
immediately  above  Jesus  and  Mary.  From  the  dove 
a  flood  of  light  descended  upon  the  head  of  Mary,  as  a 
symbol  of  her  overshadowing  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 
"  The  Holy  Ghost  shall  come  upon  thee." 

Surmounting  the  whole  scene  was  God  the  Father, 
represented  with  the  flowing  patriarchal  beard,  which 
typified  His  eternal  years.  From  Him  all  the  heav- 
enly glory  radiated.  Grouped  round  the  central  fig- 
ures were  eight  archangels  —  four  on  each  side  ;  and 
these  again  were  surrounded  by  choirs  of  the  heavenly 
spirits,  who  appeared  among  the  clouds. 

This  beautiful  painting  epitomized  the  whole  Divine 
economy,  from  the  fall  of  the  Angels  and  the  pre- 
varication of  man  to  the  Redemption  of  the  world. 
It  forcibly  suggested  the  fulfillment  of  the  scriptural 
prophecies  which  foretold  that  the  Messias  would  be 
born  of  the  Woman,  who,  with  the  moon  under  her 
feet  and  the  twelve  stars  on  her  head,  would  crush  the 
head  of  the  infernal  serpent,  and  finally  be  crowned 
Queen  of  Heaven.  On  the  lower  left  side  of  the  paint- 
ing was  St.  Michael,  with  the  flaming  sword  inscribed 
with  the  legend, "  Quis  ut  Deus,"  "  Who  is  like  God?" 
This  served  to  remind  the  beholder  of  the  fall  both 
of  the  angels  and  of  man  —  a  fall  caused  by  the  insane 
ambition  of  Lucifer  and  of  Adam  to  become  like  God. 
St.  Michael  was  represented  for  another  reason  also  : 
because  he  is  considered  the  defender  of  the  Immacu- 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  177 

late  Conception  and  of  the  Incarnation.  This  opinion 
is  based  on  the  entire  twelfth  chapter  of  the  Apo- 
calypse, "And  there  was  a  great  battle  in  Heaven, 
Michael  and  his  Angels  fought  with  the  dragon." 
Opposite  St.  Michael  was  the  figure  of  St.  Gabriel, 
the  messenger  of  Heaven  chosen  to  announce  to  Mary 
the  glad  tidings  of  the  Incarnation.  The  idea  of  the 
artist  in  selecting  these  two  Archangels  for  his  picture 
may,  therefore,  be  thus  briefly  expressed  :  both  Saint 
Michael  and  Saint  Gabriel  were  employed  by  God  in 
the  Mystery  of  the  Incarnation;  consequently,  both 
bear  a  relationship  to  the  Son  and  the  Mother  ;  and 
both,  therefore,  should  be  conspicuous  when  the  Son 
and  the  Mother  are  exalted  in  glory. 

On  each  side  of  the  glory  surrounding  Jesus  and 
Mary,  the  artist  placed  three  other  Archangels  at 
different  degrees  of  height.  Those  to  the  right,  who 
were  nearer  to  Our  Lord,  were  represented  bearing 
symbols  which  showed  how  Jesus,  having  suffered 
contradiction  and  humiliation,  was  finally  crowned 
with  glory  and  majesty.  The  lowest  of  the  three  held 
the  star  which  led  the  Magi  to  Bethlehem  ;  thus  were 
expressed  the  birth  of  Christ  and  the  calling  of  the 
Gentiles  to  the  true  faith.  "  His  own  knew  Him  not," 
but  strangers  came  from  the  East  to  adore  Him. 
Furthermore,  His  own  people  rejected  His  mission  ; 
they  even  put  Him  to  death.  This  truth  was  symbol- 
ized by  the  second  highest  angel,  who  carried  the  crown 
of  thorns  and  the  other  instruments  of  the  Sacred 
Passion.  Again,  by  His  ignominious  death  on  the 
Cross,  Our  Lord  was  degraded  before  the  whole 
world  ;  but  he  was  obliged  to  undergo  this  humiliation 
before  entering  into  glory ;  this  dispensation  of  Divine 
Providence  was  brought  out  by  the  highest  angel,  who 
bore  aloft  the  banner  of  victory,  in  order  to  show  that 
Our  Divine  Saviour  had  conquered  death.  The  artist 


178       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

thus  portrayed  the  Birth,  Passion  and  Resurrection 
of  Christ ;  but  in  these  mysteries  Our  Blessed  Lady, 
from  whom  He  took  human  flesh,  played  a  prominent 
part ;  therefore,  they  were  fittingly  represented  in  the 
picture  of  her  Coronation.  The  three  Archangels  to 
the  left  bore  symbols  referring  to  the  Blessed  Virgin. 
The  lowest  clasped  a  lily  entwined  with  thorns,  which 
typified  the  Immaculate  Conception  :  a  lily  pure  and 
unsullied  would  stand  out  prominently  if  viewed 
among  thorns,  so  does  the  Blessed  Mother  by  her 
Immaculate  Conception  immeasurably  excel  every 
other  child  of  Adam.  The  second  highest  Archangel 
carried  a  heart  transpierced  with  a  sword,  in  order  to 
show  that  Mary,  like  her  Divine  Son,  had  to  pass 
through  the  crucible  of  suffering.  "And  thy  own  soul 
a  sword  shall  pierce."  But  her  life  of  martyrdom 
was  destined  to  be  crowned  with  glory ;  hence  the 
highest  Archangel  held  at  arm's  length  a  Crown  of 
Roses — the  Rosary. 

Over  the  baptistry  door,  at  the  rear  end  of  the  side 
aisle  to  the  east,  was  a  striking  painting  of  St.  John 
baptizing  Our  Lord.  Christ  was  represented  stand- 
ing in  the  limpid  stream,  and  the  Saint,  in  the  act  of 
pouring  the  water  over  the  head  of  his  Divine  Master. 
Two  angels  holding  a  large  sheet  were  depicted  as 
coming  down  from  the  Heavens,  which  were  open, 
and  from  which  the  Holy  Ghost  was  descending  upon 
the  Christ,  in  whom  the  Father  is  well  pleased.  The 
humility  and  self-abasement  of  Our  Lord,  who  sub- 
mitted to  be  baptized  by  one  of  His  own  creatures, 
and  the  deep  reluctance  and  shrinking  timidity  of  St. 
John,  who  considered  himself  unworthy  to  perform 
this  sacred  function,  were  strongly  emphasized.  Saint 
John  would  not  presume  even  to  stand  in  the  water 
with  Christ,  but  was  half -kneeling  on  a  large  rock. 

In  a  corresponding  position,  at  the  end  of  the  oppo- 


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SISTERS'  CONVENT 
Built   in    1889 


ORIGINAL  MAIN  ALTAR 
Replaced  by  present  Main  Altar  in  1897 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  179 

site  aisle,  was  portrayed  the  Flight  into  Egypt.  With 
the  Divine  Child  on  her  arm,  Mary  was  seated  on  an 
ass  led  through  the  desert  by  Joseph.  The  fine 
blending  of  the  colors  expressed  exactly  the  point  of 
the  picture.  A  sad  realism  brooded  over  all,  and  the 
beholder  almost  felt  impelled  to  follow  the  Divine 
Infant  across  the  bleak  and  arid  wilderness  until  he 
should  see  Him  safe  at  last  from  His  cruel  persecu- 
tors. 

In  the  transepts  were  two  full-sized  paintings  :  one 
of  St.  Clement  Hofbauer,  C.  SS.R.,  with  arms  out- 
stretched as  if  in  the  act  of  preaching  ;  the  other  of  St. 
Gerard  Majella,  C. SS.R.,  holding  a  crucifix  and 
apparently  meditating  on  the  Sacred  Passion  of  Our 
Lord. 

The  niches  under  the  large  painting  of  the  Corona- 
tion of  Our  Blessed  Lady,  contained  on  a  gold  back- 
ground the  pictures  of  several  Saints,  all  of  whom  but 
one  were  founders  of  religious  orders.  Beginning  on 
the  left,  as  one  faced  the  altar,  the  following  Saints 
were  represented :  Theresa,  Augustine,  Dominic, 
Ignatius  of  Loyola,  Alphonsus  de  Ligouri,  Bernard, 
Bruno,  Francis  of  Assisi,  Benedict,  and  Catherine  of 
Sienna.  In  the  niches  on  the  Gospel  side  of  the  chancel 
were  paintings  of  Abel,  Noah,  and  Moses  ;  on  the 
Epistle  side,  of  Abraham,  Melchisedech,  and  Isaias — 
the  great  characters  of  the  Old  Law.  In  the  niches 
around  the  transepts  were  the  pictures  of  the  Twelve 
Apostles. 

The  chancel  walls  were  embellished  with  delicate 
gold  tracery  against  a  crimson  background.  The 
effect  by  electric  light  was  that  of  a  fiery  red,  yet  at 
the  same  time  of  soft  crimson  gold.  These  various 
shades,  which  harmonized  perfectly  with  the  other 
appointments  of  the  chancel,  intensified  one's  sense  of 
the  sacredness  of  the  sanctuary,  and  suggested  that 


180       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

majesty  and  glory  which  a  religious  mind  is  wont  to 
associate  with  the  earthly  dwelling-place  of  the  Holy 
of  Holies. 

The  baptistry  was  decorated  in  the  Byzantine  style 
— heavy,  rich  and  deep.  Every  element  of  the  design 
conferred  a  fitting  solemnity  on  the  sacred  place  where 
the  Sacrament  of  Regeneration  was  administered. 

A  Grand  Triple  Celebration. 

When  Father  Frawley  began  the  beautifying  of 
the  church,  he  had  in  mind  a  magnificent  celebration 
to  be  held  at  its  conclusion,  a  series  of  festivities  that 
were  to  commemorate  three  noteworthy  events  :  the 
second  centenary  of  the  birth  of  St.  Alphonsus,  the 
twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  his  doctorate,  and  the 
Silver  Jubilee  of  the  Mission  Church. 

In  the  early  part  of  August,  1896,  Father  Frawley 
began  immediate  preparations  for  a  Solemn  Triduum 
to  be  conducted  September  27-29.  A  preliminary 
feature  of  the  celebration  was  the  consecration  of  the 
new  high  altar,  on  the  25th,  by  His  Grace  Archbishop 
Williams.  The  honor  of  celebrating  the  first  Mass  at 
the  altar  was  accorded  to  the  venerable  Father  O'Con- 
nor. 

The  first  day  of  the  Triduum  was  a  beautiful 
autumn  day  colored  with  russet  tints.  Fully  an  hour 
before  the  time  set  for  the  Mass,  the  church  was 
crowded.  His  Grace  Archbishop  Williams  arrived 
at  ten  o'clock,  and  half  an  hour  later  the  procession 
was  aligned  in  the  rectory.  The  ranks  were  composed 
of  fifty  priests,  secular  and  regular,  followed  by  the 
Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Healy  of  Portland,  Me.,  the  Most 
Rev.  Archbishop  Gross,  C.SS.R.,  of  Portland,  Ore- 
gon, and  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  of  Boston.  As 
soon  as  the  long  file  of  clergymen  reached  the  nave  of 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  181 

the  church,  the  Grand  Germania  Orchestra  of  Boston, 
composed  of  35  pieces,  struck  up  Gounod's  famous 
processional ;  and  as  the  glorious  train  advanced 
towards  the  sanctuary,  the  church  was  progressively 
illuminated.  The  variegated  floral  decorations,  which 
were  in  fine  taste,  served  admirably  to  relieve  the 
severe  whiteness  of  the  altar. 

The  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Williams,  who  pre- 
sided, occupied  his  throne  on  the  Gospel  side  of  the 
sanctuary.  Bishop  Healy  was  seated  on  the  Epistle 
side,  while  Archbishop  Gross  was  celebrant  of  the 
Pontifical  Mass.  The  deacons  of  honor  to  Archbishop 
Williams  were  the  Very  Rev.  Ferdinand  Litz, 
C.  SS.R.,  Superior  of  the  Baltimore  Province,  and 
the  Very  Rev.  Abbe  Hogan,  S.S.,  President  of  St. 
John's  Seminary,  Brighton.  Archbishop  Gross  was 
assisted  by  the  Rev.  Elias  F.  Schauer,  C.  SS.R. 
(former  Provincial) ,  as  archpriest ;  the  Rev.  George 
J.  Dusold,  C. SS.R.,  Procurator  of  the  Province,  as 
deacon ;  and  the  Rev.  William  G.  Luecking, 
C.  SS.  R.,  Prefect  of  Students  at  Ilchester,  Md.,  as 
subdeacon.  The  preacher  was  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop 
Healy,  who  spoke  in  part  as  follows: 

"If  anything  marked  St.  Alphonsus  as  a  faithful  disciple, 
it  was  his  resemblance  in  his  life  of  suffering  to  our  Saviour. 
No  Saint  ever  more  truly  realized  the  words,  'He  shall  be  a 
sign  which  shall  be  contradicted.' 

"Born  on  September  27,  1696,  of  a  noble  race  and  family, 
his  long  life  of  nearly  a  century  was  filled  with  great  deeds 
for  God,  with  great  triumphs,  but  always  attended  by  great 
and  continual  contradictions.  After  a  careful  and  Christian 
education,  a  blameless  youth,  he  began  his  worldly  career 
with  high  prospects  and  great  hopes. 

"A  great  mortification  and  humiliation  convinced  him  of 
the  vanity  of  worldly  expectations.  He  turned  entirely  to 
God.  Against  his  vocation  to  the  priesthood,  he  had  the 
opposition  and  contradiction  of  his  noble  father,  family 
and  friends  of  every  degree.  Against  his  project  of  estab- 


182       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

lishing  an  order  for  evangelizing  the  poor  and  neglected, 
still  greater  opposition  arose  from  every  quarter — family, 
civil,  and  even  ecclesiastical  friends,  enemies,  and  authority. 

" Against  the  rule  which  he  proposed,  there  were  many 
false  brethren,  who  imperilled  the  establishment  of  the  rising 
society.  The  times  were  evil,  and  iniquity  seemed  to  triumph 
everywhere. 

"Elated  by  the  suppression  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  the 
enemies  of  the  Church  and  religion,  high-placed  in  France, 
Spain,  Portugal  and  Naples,  swept  away  missions  and  mis- 
sionaries from  the  forests,  north  and  south,  closed  the 
Christian  colleges  and  schools,  and  aimed  at  nothing  less 
than  the  suppression  of  all  religious  orders  and  the  enslaving 
of  the  hope  of  the  Church. 

"He  was  made  a  bishop  at  66  years,  in  spite  of  his  protests. 
Alphonsus  found  the  civil  governments  and  the  adherents  and 
servants  almost  in  constant  contradiction. 

"Returning  to  his  community  after  twelve  years,  he  found 
his  work  greatly  endangered  by  the  evil  spirit  everywhere 
prevalent.  His  theology,  so  full  of  mercy  and  compassion, 
was  decried  by  many,  and,  worn  out  with  age  and  infirmities, 
he  died  at  90  years  of  age,  at  the  humble  house  of  Nocera, 
poor,  suffering  and  patient,  intent  upon  evangelizing  the 
poor,  predicting  the  triumph  of  religion,  then  apparently 
crushed  to  earth,  the  resurrection  of  the  Society  of  Jesus 
and  the  permanence  of  his  order  of  the  Holy  Redeemer,  yet, 
as  Our  Saviour  predicted  of  himself,  'Exalted  on  the  cross,  I 
will  draw  all  to  myself.' 

"From  his  deathbed  began  his  triumph.  Miracles  evidenced 
his  sanctity,  the  whole  Church  recognized  the  effect  of  his 
labors,  infallible  authority  praised  his  doctrine,  and  from 
his  writings  first  came  his  beatification,  then  his  canonization, 
and  lastly  his  declaration  as  a  doctor  of  the  Church." 

After  voicing  his  profound  esteem  and  admiration 
for  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Williams,  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Bishop  Healy  addressed  the  Redemptorist  Fathers, 
congratulating  them  on  the  glorious  history  of  their 
Congregation,  and  also  on  the  magnificent  monu- 
ment to  God,  which  they  had  erected.  Then,  turning 
to  the  laity,  he  exhorted  them  to  show  fidelity,  fervor, 
and  confidence. 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  183 

In  the  evening,  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Gross, 
C.  SS.R.,  was  celebrant  of  the  Pontifical  Vespers. 
The  deacon  was  the  Very  Rev.  William  O'Brien 
Pardow,  Provincial  of  the  Jesuits  ;  the  subdeacon, 
the  Rev.  Joseph  Hild,  C.  SS.  R.,  Rector  of  the  Church 
of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  New  York.  The 
Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Hennessey  of  Wichita,  Kansas,  was 
present  in  the  sanctuary.  The  preacher,  the  Rev. 
Joseph  Henning,  C.  SS.R.,  took  as  his  theme,  "The 
Life  and  Labors  of  St.  Alphonsus."  The  first  point 
he  made  was  that  the  sanctity  of  the  great  servant  of 
God  could  be  traced  to  the  influence  of  his  noble 
mother,  who  gave  all  her  time  and  thought  to  his  re- 
ligious education.  The  reverend  orator  then  con- 
tinued as  follows: 

"She  put  him,  at  the  age  of  9,  under  the  care  of  the  Orato- 
rian  Fathers  of  St.  Philip,  who  had  about  that  time  estab- 
lished in  Naples  a  special  association  for  the  spiritual  prog- 
ress of  the  sons  of  the  nobility.  Thus  it  was  that  this 
saintly  woman  laid  in  the  soul  of  Alphonsus  the  foundation 
of  that  greatness  that  signalizes  him  in  the  Church  of  God. 

"A  man  is  what  his  mother  makes  him.  To  her  is  en- 
trusted by  the  Creator  the  task  of  molding  his  character. 
If  she  keeps  before  her  mind  the  great  truth  that  the  child 
which  God  gives  her  is  a  trust,  confided  to  her,  that  she  may 
fit  that  child  for  its  destiny,  which  is  Heaven,  and  if  she  lives 
up  to  and  in  accordance  with  that  truth,  her  child  will  grow 
up  to  be  an  ornament  to  society  and  the  Church,  a  joy  to 
Heaven  and  earth. 

"His  spiritual  training  went  hand  in  hand  with  his  mental 
and  physical  education.  His  father,  noticing  the  quickness 
with  which  his  boy  learned,  procured  for  him  the  best  tutors 
he  could  find  in  the  kingdom.  Under  these  tutors  his  progress 
was  so  great  that  in  a  few  years  he  became  proficient  in  the 
languages,  in  mathematics,  poetry,  music,  art,  and  philos- 
ophy. 

"His  father,  solicitous  for  the  glory  of  his  house,  and  per- 
ceiving that  the  gifted  son  was  the  very  one  who  would 
reflect  that  glory  and  bring  the  highest  honors  on  the  family, 


184       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

wished  to  open  a  great  career  for  him  and  destined  him  for 
the  profession  of  the  law. 

"Alphonsus,  obedient  to  his  parents,  at  once  allowed  him- 
self to  be  put  under  the  tuition  of  the  celebrated  masters,  and 
he  advanced  so  rapidly  that  at  the  age  of  16  he  took  his 
degrees  in  civil  and  ecclesiastical  jurisprudence. 

"At  the  age  of  20  he  was  considered  one  of  the  most  able 
lawyers  in  Italy;  everybody  was  anxious  to  intrust  his  case 
to  the  hands  of  the  most  clever  and  at  the  same  time  the  most 
saintly  advocate  in  the  Neapolitan  Kingdom. 

"It  sounds  strange  to  bring  these  two  terms  in  juxtaposi- 
tion— clever  and  saintly  lawyer.  People  are  accustomed  to 
believe  that  it  is  not  possible  for  legal  ability  and  sanctity  to 
coexist  in  one  and  the  same  mind.  In  Alphonsus  both  were 
combined. 

"As  soon  as  he  was  ordained,  he  was  filled  with  the  spirit 
of  Elias,  zeal  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of 
souls.  Like  John  the 'Baptist  he  went  forth  to  preach  day 
after  day  at  street  corners,  public  places ;  gathering  the 
poor,  beggars,  laborers,  ragpickers,  outcasts  for  whom  no- 
body cares,  instructing,  teaching,  encouraging  all  to  a  life 
of  virtue. 

"The  secret  of  his  success  was  his  boundless  love  of  God, 
his  knowledge  of  the  human  heart,  his  patience,  and  his 
charity. 

"It  was  his  zeal  for  souls  which  led  Alphonsus  to  become 
the  founder  of  a  religious  society.  He  saw  the  state  of  the 
world,  but  could  not  reach  the  people  by  word  of  mouth,  but 
could  through  his  pen.  He  wrote  books  of  piety  and  devo- 
tion, spreading  love  of  Jesus. 

"The  crowning  glory  of  St.  Alphonsus  is  his  great  work 
on  Moral  Theology." 

On  Monday,  the  28th,  Solemn  Mass  of  Requiem 
was  sung  for  the  deceased  benefactors  of  the  Redemp- 
torist  Fathers  of  Boston.  The  Rev.  George  Dusold, 
C.  SS.R.,  was  celebrant,  the  Rev.  Joseph  Hild, 
C.SS.R.,  deacon,  and  the  Rev.  Martin  Maloney, 
C.  SS.R.,  subdeacon.  The  celebrant  of  the  Solemn 
Vespers  was  the  Rev.  John  B.  Hespelein,  C.  SS.  R., 
of  Philadelphia,  with  the  Rev.  Cyril  Dodsworth, 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  135 

C.  SS.  R.,  of  Toronto,  and  the  Rev.  Edward  M. 
Weigel,  C.  SS.  R.,  of  St.  John,  N.  B.,  Canada,  as  dea- 
con and  subdeacon,  respectively. 

After  the  Magnificat  the  Rev.  Joseph  Wissel, 
C.  SS.  R.,  preached  a  practical  and  forcible  sermon  on 
"  The  Devotion  of  St.  Alphonsus  to  Our  Lord  in  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  and  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary." 
Father  Wissel,  despite  the  frosty  touch  of  nearly 
sixty-seven  years,  showed  the  fire  and  vigor  of  youth, 
and  made  a  strong  plea  for  the  universal  adoption 
among  Catholics  of  those  two  characteristic  devotions 
of  the  Saint., 

On  September  29,  the  third  and  last  day  of  the 
festivities,  Solemn  Mass  was  sung  by  the  Very  Rev. 
Ferdinand  Litz,  C. SS.R.,  Provincial;  the  Rev. 
Francis  X.  Miller,  C.SS.R.,  of  Buffalo,  one  of  the 
members  of  the  original  community,  was  deacon  ;  and 
the  Rev.  William  G.  Luecking,  C.  SS.  R.,  subdeacon. 
At  the  close  of  the  triduum,  at  7 :30  P.  M.,  there  was 
a  grand  procession  in  which  22  priests  and  700  chil- 
dren took  part.  During  the  procession  a  beautiful 
picture  of  St.  Alphonsus  was  borne  in  triumph 
round  the  church. 

The  elaborate  celebration  carried  out  without  hitch 
or  halt,  served  to  inspire  the  faithful  with  a  noble 
pride  in  their  church  and  especially  with  a  great  devo- 
tion to  the  zealous  Bishop,  illustrious  Founder  of  the 
Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer,  and  glori- 
ous Doctor  of  the  Church,  St.  Alphonsus  de  Ligouri. 

In  the  midst  of  his  manifold  labors  in  various  direc- 
tions, Father  Frawley  never  lost  sight  of  that  which 
should  be  first  in  the  thought  and  purpose  of  a  zealous 
pastor — the  spiritual  welfare  of  his  flock.  In  fulfill- 
ment of  his  supreme  duty,  he  announced  a  mission  to 
be  held,  November  8-29,  1896.  The  missionaries  en- 


186       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

gaged  were  the  Rev.  Caspar  G.  Hitter,  C.  SS.  R., 
Rector  of  St.  Joseph's,  Rochester,  N.  Y.;  the  Rev. 
John  G.  Schneider,  C.  SS.  R.,  of  St.  Alphonsus',  New 
York;  the  Rev.  Paul  Carbray,  C.SS.R.,  of  the 
Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  Brooklyn; 
and  the  Rev.  Patrick  Mulhall,  C.SS.R.,  of  St. 
Clement's  College,  Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y.  The 
women's  mission  lasted  from  the  8th  to  the  17th,  in- 
clusive ;  the  men's,  from  the  19th  to  the  29th.  By 
actual  count  there  were  3,300  women  present  the  third 
night  and  nearly  4,000  the  following  nights.  During 
the  men's  mission  the  average  attendance  was  slightly 
over  3,000.  The  closing  sermon,  which  was  preached 
by  Father  Schneider,  made  a  deep  impression  on  the 
men  ;  it  sent  them  away  sweeping  their  spirits,  think- 
ing of  the  deeper  realities  of  life  and  reflecting  on  the 
eternal  years.  The  total  number  of  confessions  was 
7,736  (3,010  men,  4,207  women,  234  boys  and  285 
girls).  Two  converts  were  received  into  the  church, 
and  at  the  close  of  the  mission,  the  Rt.  Rev.  John  J. 
Brady,  Auxiliary  Bishop  of  the  diocese,  confirmed  a 
class  of  427  (341  children  and  86  adults). 

On  June  7,  1897,  was  held  the  most  elaborate 
sacerdotal  Silver  Jubilee  celebration  in  the  history  of 
the  church.  The  jubilarian  was  the  Very  Rev.  Joseph 
Schwarz,  C.  SS.R.,  a  member  of  the  Council  of  the 
Superior  General  of  the  Redemptorists  and  Visitor 
Extraordinary  to  the  houses  in  the  United  States. 

The  Very  Rev.  Joseph  Schwarz  was  born  in  New 
Orleans,  Aug.  1,  1849,  and  entered  the  Congregation 
of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer  at  Annapolis,  Md.,  in 
1867,  where  one  year  later,  October  15,  1868,  he  pro- 
nounced his  vows  as  a  religious.  After  his  ordination 
to  the  diaconate,  he  was  appointed  professor  of  the 
classics  and  of  sacred  chant  at  the  Redemptorist  Pre- 
paratory College.  On  June  6,  1872,  he  was  raised  to 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  187 

the  dignity  of  the  priesthood  at  Ilchester,  Md.,  by  the 
Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Becker  of  Wilmington,  Delaware. 

In  February,  1877,  Father  Schwarz  was  assigned 
to  the  Boston  Community,  where  for  four  months  he 
was  engaged  in  giving  missions.  But  his  special  quali- 
fications as  professor  and  disciplinarian  had  been  so 
strikingly  manifested  even  before  his  ordination  that 
in  June  of  that  year  he  was  transferred  to  Ilchester 
as  Director  of  the  College.  When  the  institution  was 
removed  to  North  East,  Pa.,  in  1881,  Father  Schwarz 
was  appointed  first  Superior  of  the  new  college,  which 
position  he  held  for  nine  years  with  signal  success. 
In  1890  he  was  named  Rector  of  the  Preparatory 
College  at  Kirwood,  Mo.,  in  the  Province  of  St.  Louis. 
Three  years  afterwards  his  Superiors,  recognizing 
his  extraordinary  ability  as  an  executive  and  admin- 
istrator, selected  him  for  the  high  post  of  Provincial. 
By  virtue  of  his  office  he  went  to  Rome  in  1894,  to  take 
part  in  the  General  Chapter  which  elected  the  Most 
Rev.  Mathias  Raus  Superior  General  of  the  Redemp- 
torists.  Before  the  adjournment  of  the  Chapter, 
Father  Schwarz  was  chosen  official  adviser  to  the  new 
Superior  General  —  a  position  never  before  held  by 
any  American  Redemptorist.  In  the  fall  of  1896,  he 
was  delegated  to  visit  in  an  official  capacity  all  the 
houses  of  the  Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy  Re- 
deemer in  this  country  ;  after  finishing  his  work  here, 
he  was  sent  on  a  similar  mission  to  England  and  to 
Ireland.  [ 

By  a  happy  dispensation  of  Divine  Providence, 
Father  Schwarz  celebrated  his  Silver  Jubilee  here  in 
Boston,  at  the  house  from  which  he  did  his  first  mis- 
sionary duty.  In  the  ordinary  course  of  events  this 
would  not  have  happened,  as  his  permanent  residence 
was  in  Rome,  but  God  willed  that  on  his  jubilee  day 
he  should  be  present  here  where  as  a  young  priest  he 


188       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

first  went  forth  into  the  sacred  arena  of  the  missions 
to  do  battle  for  the  Lord. 

Never  before  had  so  many  Redemptorists  assembled 
at  the  Mission  Church  as  on  this  occasion  ;  and,  as 
they  marched  up  the  aisle,  they  formed  an  impressive 
picture.  Among  the  Fathers  present  from  all  parts 
of  the  country  were  the  two  Provincials  of  the  Eastern 
and  Western  Provinces,  the  Very  Rev.  Ferdinand 
Litz  and  the  Very  Rev.  Ferreol  Girardy,  respectively ; 
Fathers  Mullane  of  St.  Louis,  MacGeough  of  Den- 
ver, Firle  of  New  Orleans,  Dusold  of  Baltimore, 
Rossbach  and  Anderson  of  Quebec,  Sigl,  Tewes,  Hild, 
Walsh,  and  Leibfritz  of  New  York,  Daily  of  Brook- 
lyn, Kessel  of  Baltimore,  Lowekamp  and  Ritter  of 
Rochester,  Wynn  of  Toronto,  Mclnerney  of  An- 
napolis, Henning  and  Luecking  of  Ilchester,  Rein  of 
St.  John,  N.  B.,  Dooper  of  North  East,  Pa.,  Zimmer 
of  Pittsburgh,  Friederich  and  Speidel  of  Philadel- 
phia. The  deacon  and  the  subdeacon  of  the  Mass  were 
the  Rev.  Eugene  Walsh,  C.  SS.R.,  and  the  Rev. 
George  Dusold,  C.  SS.R.,  both  classmates  of  Father 
Schwarz.  The  Rev.  Joseph  Henning,  C.  SS.  R.,  pro- 
fessor of  Moral  Theology  at  the  Redemptorist  Sem- 
inary, Ilchester,  Md.,  preached  on  the  sacred  preroga- 
tives of  the  priesthood. 

On  Monday  evening  a  public  reception  was  held  in 
the  school  hall  in  honor  of  the  Very  Rev.  Father 
Schwarz.  The  school  children  gave  a  very  enjoyable 
entertainment,  and  Mr.  Michael  Dwyer  delivered,  on 
behalf  of  the  people  of  the  parish,  an  able  and  eloquent 
address. 

An  event  of  the  greatest  significance  in  the  purely 
spiritual  realm  of  the  Mission  Church,  came  to  pass 
on  July  19,  when  His  Holiness  Pope  Leo  XIII,  of 
saintly  memory,  granted  to  it  the  rare  and  rich  in- 
dulgence of  the  "  Portiuncula."  In  order  to  gain  this 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  189 

extraordinary  favor  it  was  necessary  for  the  faithful : 
1,  To  make  a  visit  to  the  church  some  time  between 
2:00  P.  M.,  August  the  first,  and  7:00  P.  M.,  August 
the  second;  2,  To  receive  the  Sacraments  of  Penance 
and  the  Holy  Eucharist ;  3,  To  pray  for  the  intention 
of  the  Holy  Father.  The  indulgence  might  be  gained 
as  often  as  the  visit  was  made  and  the  prayers  were  re- 
peated. As  this  privilege  has  been  renewed  since  then 
at  the  required  intervals,  it  is  still  in  force,  and  the 
faithful  make  extraordinary  efforts  to  gain  the  indul- 
gence. To  see  thousands  of  people  of  all  classes  and 
conditions  filing  in  and  out  of  the  Mission  Church 
from  morning  till  night,  is  a  sight  to  warm  the  heart. 
Some  of  them  make  as  many  as  twenty-five  visits; 
each,  of  course,  of  short  duration,  but  sufficiently  long 
to  satisfy  the  prescribed  condition.  On  August 
1,  the  confessionals  are  crowded,  and  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning  at  nearly  all  the  Masses  four  Fath- 
ers are  kept  busy  from  the  Offertory  to  the  end  of  the 
Mass,  distributing  the  Bread  of  Angels  to  those  who 
are  anxious  to  lay  up  for  themselves  treasures  in  that 
blessed  kingdom  "where  neither  moth  nor  rust  doth 
consume,  nor  thieves  break  in." 

The  New  Organ. 

As  we  have  heretofore  mentioned,  one  of  the  fea- 
tures of  Father  Frawley's  comprehensive  scheme  of 
beautifying  the  church  was  the  building  of  a  grand 
and  majestic  organ — one  that  should  be  in  every 
respect  worthy  of  the  imposing  and  stately  edifice. 
He  was  impelled  to  this  project,  not  indeed  by  any 
motive  of  vanity  or  ostentation,  but  by  his  clear  reali- 
zation of  the  important  place  which  the  organ  fills  in 
the  economy  of  the  Church's  liturgy.  The  Royal 
Psalmist  in  jubilant  words  exhorts  the  earth  and  the 


190       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

heavens  and  all  that  is  on  the  earth  and  in  the  heavens 
to  praise  the  Lord.  When  we,  as  reasonable  beings, 
assemble  in  the  temple  of  God  to  sound  His  praises, 
the  mighty  tones  of  the  organ  which  accompanies  us, 
should  serve  as  the  combined  harmony  of  the  voices  of 
the  universe,  united  in  chanting  the  greatness  of  Him 
who  made  all  things. 

In  the  organ  which  Father  Frawley  installed,  the 
hand  of  the  master  had  placed  a  volume  of  grave  and 
gay,  light  and  ponderous,  soothing  and  piercing  tones, 
which  awaited  only  the  magic  touch  of  the  artist  to 
bring  them  forth  in  all  their  surpassing  harmony  and 
brilliancy.  The  soft  sighing  of  the  wind  at  the  twilight 
hour,  the  distant  rolling  of  the  thunder  round  the 
mountain  tops,  the  deafening  roar  of  the  cataract,  the 
impetuous  swirling  of  the  rapids,  the  sweet  and  deli- 
cate twittering  of  the  birds,  the  marvelous  tones  of 
the  human  voice  bespeaking  the  immortal  spirit  that 
dwells  in  man,  the  gentle  vibrations  of  stringed,  and 
the  massive  notes  of  wind  instruments — all  were 
blended  to  perfection  in  the  organ  which,  under  the 
direction  of  Father  Frawley,  reared  its  noble  propor- 
tions heavenward.  Because  of  its  complicated  struc- 
ture, its  finely-adjusted  mechanical  appliances,  and 
the  great  number  of  its  pipes,  it  took  more  than  a  year 
to  build  it.  It  comprises  Great,  Swell,  Choir,  Solo, 
and  Pedal  Organs;  with  63  stops,  12  couplers,  18 
pedal  movements,  21  adjustable  pistons,  and  5,523 
pipes.  It  is  a  notable  example  of  the  wonderful 
progress  made  by  the  application  of  electricity 
to  organ-building.  The  action  is  electro-pneu- 
matic throughout — on  keys,  pedals,  couplers,  com- 
binations, and  pedal  movements.  The  console  is  port- 
able and  is  connected  with  the  organ  by  a  cable;  it  is 
compact,  simple  and  logical  in  arrangement,  and  can 
be  located  in  any  part  of  the  church,  according  to 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  191 

the  length  of  the  cable.  The  tone  of  the  full  organ  is 
perfectly  balanced,  majestic  and  thrilling;  each 
individual  register  is  finished  with  the  utmost  nicety, 
giving  the  legitimate  tone  quality  in  its  highest  excel- 
lence. The  scheme  of  the  organ  was  developed  by 
Mr.  E.  J.  McGoldrick,  the  organist  of  the  church,  in 
collaboration  with  the  builder,  Mr.  G.  S.  Hutchins  of 
Boston. 

On  September  26,  1897,  this  superb  instrument 
was  dedicated  with  a  grand  organ  recital.  The  cere- 
monies were  attended  by  an  immense  congregation 
which  included  many  officials  prominent  in  the  city 
and  the  State,  and  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  high 
musical  attainments.  To  the  stirring  strains  of  a 
stately  processional  by  Guiknant,  fifty  priests  pre- 
ceded by  the  crossbearer  and  forty  acolytes  moved 
slowly  up  the  center  aisle  to  the  sanctuary.  The 
celebrant  was  the  Rt.  Rev.  Mgr.  Magennis,  assisted 
by  the  Rev.  H.  O'DonneU  and  the  Rev.  P.  Curran 
as  deacon  and  subdeacon  respectively.  Mgr.  Magen- 
nis blessed  the  organ  and  dedicated  it  to  the  worship 
of  God.  The  musical  program  was  composed  of 
selections  from  Bach,  Gounod,  Mendelsohn,  Guil- 
mant,  Dubois,  Salome,  Batiste,  von  Winter,  and 
Archer.  In  addition  to  the  choir  of  the  church,  the 
following  ladies  and  gentlemen  took  part  under  the 
direction  of  Prof.  Edward  McGoldrick:  Mr.  B.  J. 
Lang,  Organist;  Mr.  Emil  Mollenhauer,  Violinist; 
Mr.  Michael  Dwyer,  Tenor;  Miss  Madge  MdNTulty, 
Harpist;  Miss  Katherine  L.  IsTeas,  Soprano;  Miss 
Mary  McNulty,  Mezzo- Soprano;  Mr.  Pierce 
Murphy,  Tenor;  and  Mr.  Thomas  Kerr,  Baritone. 

The  new  organ  proved  such  a  magnificent  instru- 
ment and  was  so  highly  appreciated  by  the  people, 
that  Father  Frawley  invited  the  famous  French 
organist  and  composer,  Prof.  Alexander  Guilmant 


192       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

of  the  Paris  Conservatory  of  Music,  to  give  a  recital 
on  the  Feast  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  of  Our 
Blessed  Lady — Her  whom  the  heavenly  harpists 
eternally  serenade.  For  two  hours  and  a  half  the 
vast  audience  listened  with  the  closest  attention  to  the 
majestic  harmonies  evoked  from  the  kingly  instru- 
ment by  the  master  organist,  whose  genius  for  im- 
provisation had  won  for  him  golden  commendation 
on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic.  The  wonderful 
resources  of  the  organ  were  well  shown  in  the  pro- 
gram selected,  and  the  excellent  interpretations  of 
the  Professor  were  a  source  of  wonder  and  delight  to 
all  present.  The  second  last  number  on  the  program 
was  "Improvisation  on  a  Given  Theme."  Mr. 
McGoldrick  suggested  the  Benedicamus  Domino, 
and  the  virtuoso's  treatment  of  it  was  so  fine  that 
several  musical  critics  in  the  audience  pronounced  it 
the  most  brilliant  example  of  its  kind  ever  heard  in 
Boston. 

From  the  lengthy  accounts  of  the  recital  given  by 
the  Boston  papers,  we  quote  the  following  extracts: 

"In  holding  these  recitals  at  this  church,  Rev.  J.  J.  Fraw- 
ley,  the  rector,  deserves  the  hearty  cooperation  of  every 
one  who  loves  music  of  the  higher  class,  for  it  is  only  by 
listening  to  the  grand  compositions  interpreted  by  such 
artists  as  Guilmant,  with  the  aid  of  a  noble  instrument  like 
the  Mission  Church  organ  that  an  adequate  idea  can  be 
obtained  of  the  beauties  and  grandeur  of  these  massive 
writings." 

"There  are  not  many  organs  in  America  that  permit  a 
satisfactory  performance  of  Cesar  Franck's  beautiful  and 
quaint  pastorale,  on  account  of  their  imperfect  action  and 
tubbiness  of  tone,  but  the  noble  instrument  in  this  noble 
church  responded  promptly  and  gracefully.  .  .  ." 

"The  genius  of  Mr.  Guilmant  for  improvisation  is  of  in- 
ternational fame.  Last  evening  the  subject  given  by  Mr. 
McGoldrick,  the  organist  of  the  Mission  Church,  was  the 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  193 

theme  of  the  Benedicamus  Domino.  Mr.  Guilmant  treated 
it  with  profound  contrapunfal  knowledge  and  dramatic,  yet 
ecclesiastical,  spirit.  The  improvisation  was  varied,  yet 
always  coherent  and  logical ;  the  solo  stops  of  the  organ  were 
used  not  merely  for  ear-tickling  effect  while  the  invention  of 
the  player  halted  or  failed,  but  in  the  service  of  apparently 
inexhaustible  invention." 

"Praise  the  Lord  with  sound  of  trumpet;  praise 
Him  with  psaltery  and  harp.  Praise  Him  with 
timbrel  and  choir;  praise  Him  with  strings  and  or- 
gans; praise  Him  on  high-sounding  cymbals;  praise 
Him  on  cymbals  of  joy,  let  every  spirit  praise  the 
Lord,  Alleluja." 

About  this  time  an  able  writer  in  the  Roxbury 
Gazette  spoke  as  follows  of  the  Mission  Church : 

"The  Mission  Church  is  a  most  exquisitely  beautiful  edifice, 
fraught  with  majesty,  sublimity,  loveliness  of  human  art  and 
the  ecstatic  sense  of  a  divine  element  in  human  destiny! 
I  approached  it  at  the  hour  of  Vespers,  and  while  I  lingered 
in  the  vestibule,  in  wondering  meditation,  the  muffled  thunder- 
ing of  its  vast  sonorous  organ  rose,  rolling  and  throbbing 
from  the  choir  and  seemed  to  strike  the  mighty  structure  with 
a  blast  of  jubilation  and  worship.  One  finds  it  difficult  to 
understand  how  anybody,  however  lowly  born  or  poorly  en- 
dowed or  meanly  nurtured,  can  live  within  the  presence  of 
this  heavenly  building,  and  not  be  purified  and  exalted  by 
the  contemplation  of  so  much  majesty  and  by  its  constantly 
irradiative  force  of  religious  sentiment  and  power.  What  a 
comfort  to  its  worshippers !  What  a  solace  and  an  inspira- 
tion !  There  it  stands  in  the  beauty  of  holiness,  symbolizing 
as  no  other  object  on  earth  can  do,  except  one  of  its  own 
great  kindred,  God's  promise  of  immortal  life  to  man  and 
man's  unconquerable  faith  in  the  promise  of  God.  The 
setting  sun  now  pours  its  glory  on  those  mosaic  windows, 
the  sanctuary  reflecting  the  golden  light  from  the  candles 
which  adorn  the  classic  altar,  the  Te  Deum  ascends  with 
rapturous  voice  to  the  heavens  above,  and  the  dome  returns 
the  angelic  echoes  of  united  humanity.  Let  all  who  worship 
here  be  comforted  and  feel  that  the  beautiful  Cathedral  is 
indeed  the  gateway  to  Heaven, 


194       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

"0  Church  divine,  supreme,  undying, 
Nor  time,  nor  space  can  e'er  subdue, 
The  seas  roll  on,  the  years  are  flying, 
Man  passes,  thou  alone  art  true!" 

The  mission  given  in  1896,  November  8-29,  was 
attended  by  such  vast  crowds  that  Father  Frawley 
decided  that  the  renewal  in  1897  should  last  four 
instead  of  three  weeks.  The  exercises  were  conducted, 
October  3-31,  by  the  Redemptorist  Fathers  Peter 
Ward,  Henry  Otterbein,  John  G.  Schneider,  and 
James  Hayes.  The  total  number  of  confessions  was 
8,312. 

Christmas  Day  was  rendered  especially  memorable 
by  reason  of  the  fact  that  two  newly  ordained 
Redemptorists  offered  up  the  Adorable  Sacrifice  for 
the  first  time.  The  happy  young  Levites  were  the 
Rev.  Martin  Mulligan  and  the  Rev.  Charles  Nolen. 
Father  Mulligan,  who  sang  Solemn  Mass  at  5 :00  A.M., 
was  assisted  by  the  Rev.  Peter  Doyle,  C.  SS.  R.,  as 
deacon,  and  the  Rev.  Thomas  Galvin,  C.  SS.  R.,  as 
subdeacon.  The  last-named  was  the  preacher. 
Father  Nolen  celebrated  Mass  at  10 :30  A.  M.  The 
Rev.  Father  Mulligan  officiated  as  deacon,  and  the 
Rev.  Peter  Curran,  C.  SS.  R.,  as  subdeacon.  Father 
Galvin  preached.  The  Rev.  William  G.  Luecking, 
C.  SS.  R.,  was  archpriest  at  both  Masses.  Fathers 
Mulligan  and  Nolen  were  raised  to  the  priesthood, 
December  23,  at  Ilchester,  Md.,  by  His  Eminence 
Cardinal  Gibbons. 

Father  Frawley  received  word  on  April  21,  1898, 
that  he  had  been  appointed  Rector  of  the  Mission 
Church  for  another  term  —  his  fourth.  In  consider- 
ation of  all  he  had  done  for  the  good  of  the  church 
and  of  the  people,  it  is  easy  to  understand  how  grati- 
fying was  the  news. 

Another  announcement  that  had  a  special  interest 


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THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  195 

for  the  parishioners  was  that  the  Rev.  William  G. 
Luecking,  C.  SS.  R.,  who  from  1884  to  1890,  had 
been  attached  to  the  Mission  Church,  had  been  chosen 
Superior  of  the  Baltimore  Province.  About  six 
months  later,  Father  Luecking  came  to  Boston  for 
the  first  time  in  his  new  capacity.  His  many  friends, 
who  still  bore  his  name  in  grateful  remembrance,  were 
delighted  to  see  him ;  and  the  young  men,  with  whom 
he  had  always  been  a  prime  favorite,  gave  their  dis- 
tinguished visitor  an  informal  reception  in  the  shape 
of  a  smoke  talk.  A  short  musical  program  was 
rendered,  and  speeches  were  made  by  Mr.  Frank 
Kelter,  president  of  the  Young  Men's  Mission 
Church  Association  and  the  Rev.  Joseph  McGrath, 
C.  SS.  R.,  Spiritual  Director.  Very  Rev.  Father 
Provincial  in  reply  alluded  in  a  feeling  manner  to  his 
former  labors  among  the  people  of  the  parish  and 
recounted  many  pleasant  reminiscences.  Having 
spoken  in  a  lighter  vein  for  some  time,  he  launched 
into  a  serious  talk  on  "  High  Ideals,"  laying  special 
stress  on  unswerving  loyalty  in  everyday  life  to  the 
teachings  of  our  holy  Faith.  The  program  closed 
with  a  speech  by  Father  Frawley,  who,  among  other 
things,  said  that  he  "hoped  to  be  able  to  do  great 
things  for  his  young  men." 

On  May  6,  1899,  the  Fathers  entertained  a  dis- 
tinguished ecclesiastic  from  the  land  of  the  Southern 
Cross,  in  the  person  of  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop 
Carr  of  Melbourne,  Australia.  His  Grace  was  very 
favorably  impressed  by  the  beauty  of  the  church,  and 
was  enthusiastic  in  his  praise  of  the  new  organ. 

The  Rev.  James  Doyle,  C.  SS.  R.,  sang  his  first 
Mass  on  Sunday,  June  25,  1899.  He  was  assisted 
by  the  Rev.  Henry  Mohan,  C.  SS.  R.,  as  deacon,  and 
the  Rev.  James  Hayes,  C.  SS.  R.,  as  subdeacon. 
The  Rev.  Peter  Corr,  C.  SS.  R.,  preached.  Father 


196       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Doyle  was  ordained  June  21,  at  the  Cathedral  in 
Baltimore  by  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons. 

At  a  Grand  Symphony  Concert  given  in  the  church 
on  the  evening  of  October  22,  Haydn's  "  Stabat 
Mater"  was  rendered  for  the  first  time  in  Boston. 
The  chorus  consisted  of  60  voices;  the  orchestra,  of 
19  pieces.  The  great  masterpiece  was  excellently 
interpreted,  and  was  listened  to  by  a  large  and 
appreciative  audience. 


ST.  ALPHONSUS'   HALL. 

Ever  since  Father  Frawley's  first  appointment,  in 
1890,  he  had  been  revolving  in  his  mind  plans  to  erect 
a  magnificent  clubhouse  for  the  young  men  of  the 
parish,  but  as  more  urgent  and  pressing  problems 
presented  themselves  for  solution,  he  could  not  at 
once  carry  his  project  into  effect.  Nevertheless,  the 
idea  grew  in  his  mind  by  the  process  of  what  psychol- 
ogists call  "unconscious  cerebration";  and  on  Feb- 
ruary 18,  1900,  it  attained  its  full  growth  and  found 
a  "  local  habitation  and  a  name."  "  The  local  habita- 
tion" was  Smith  St.;  the  "name"  St.  Alphonsus' 
Hall,  which,  unbiased  judges  have  said,  "  is  one  of  the 
finest  buildings  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States." 
On  the  above-mentioned  date,  the  Hall  was  blessed 
in  the  presence  of  35  priests  by  His  Grace  Arch- 
bishop Williams.  The  day  was  one  of  the  greatest 
in  the  later  history  of  the  parish. 

St.  Alphonsus'  Hall  stands  next  to  the  school,  and 
has  a  total  area  of  12,000  square  feet.  It  is  two  full 
stories  over  a  high  basement,  is  built  of  stone  with 
trimmings  of  buff-colored  brick,  and  is  fireproof 
throughout;  as  little  wood  as  possible  was  used  in  the 
construction,  and  then  only  for  finish.  The  main 
entrance  is  spanned  by  a  large  arch  supported  by 
three  small  arches,  which  in  turn  rest  upon  orna- 
mental granite-capped  pillars.  Marble  stairs  lead 
to  the  auditorium,  to  which  three  large  doors  give 
entrance.  The  gallery  is  reached  by  two  sets  of  iron 
stairs  encased  in  brick. 


198       THE  (GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

The  foyer  will  bear  comparison  in  details 
with  the  main  staircase  of  the  Public  Library 
in  this  city.  It  is  smaller,  of  course,  but 
the  appointments  in  the  way  of  marble  and 
of  mosaic  walls  and  the  artistic  treatment  of  the 
whole,  together  with  the  decorative  treasures  dis- 
played, justify  the  above  comparison.  As  one  enters 
the  foyer,  the  most  striking  object  is  the  large  paint- 
ing of  His  Eminence  Cardinal  O'Connell  above  the 
main  entrance  to  the  auditorium;  off  the  foyer  are 
two  spacious  meeting-rooms  and  a  ticket  office.  The 
halls  are  finished  in  fancy  marble  wainscoting.  The 
prevailing  color  in  the  hallway  is  rich  golden  brown; 
the  decorations  are  in  dull  reds  and  blues.  The 
groundwork  in  the  reception  room  and  in  the  library 
is  olive  with  red  and  blue.  The  effect  of  this  color 
scheme,  which,  except  in  the  theatre,  predominates 
throughout  the  whole  interior,  is  to  provide  richness 
and  warmth,  without  any  suggestion  of  garishness  or 
gaudiness. 

On  the  left  of  the  hallway,  hangs  a  replica  of 
a  fine  painting  by  Raab,  representing  Veronica 
in  the  act  of  giving  the  sacred  towel  to  the  Blessed 
Virgin  at  the  home  of  St.  John.  While  the  Beloved 
Disciple  puts  a  protecting  arm  round  Her,  the  Sor- 
rowful Mother  eagerly  extends  her  hands  to  receive 
the  precious  treasure.  St.  Mary  Magdalen,  whose 
beautiful  golden  tresses  give  a  pronounced  touch  of 
brightness  to  the  picture,  casts  herself  on  the  ground. 
St.  Peter,  weeping,  stands  to  one  side.  No  other 
copy  of  this  masterpiece,  it  is  said,  was  ever  before 
exhibited  in  this  country.  In  the  library  and  in  the 
reception-room  are  three  other  paintings  by  the  same 
artist :  Our  Lord  with  the  symbols  of  the  devotion  to 
His  Sacred  Heart,  the  Madonna,  and  the  Holy 
Family;  furthermore,  an  oil  painting  of  the  Most 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  199 

Rev.  Archbishop  Williams,  a  portrait  of  the  late 
lamented  Rev.  William  O'Connor,  C.  SS.  R.  (pre- 
sented by  the  Sunday  school  children,  and  a  number 
of  other  valuable  pictures,  chiefly  of  sacred  subjects 
—  the  gifts  of  private  benefactors.  In  conspicuous 
places  in  the  library,  are  likewise  found  copies  of 
Guido  Reni's  paintings  of  the  Crucifixion  and  of  St. 
Michael  the  Archangel. 

The  second  floor  contains  a  spacious  recreation 
room  running  the  entire  length  of  the  building,  and 
a  beautiful  theatre,  which,  including  the  galleries, 
seats  1,142  people.  The  auditorium  would  arrest  and 
hold  the  attention  of  the  observer,  if  nothing  else  in 
the  building  did.  It  is  a  handsome,  nobly-modeled 
hall  fitted  up  as  a  complete  theatre  designed  and 
executed  according  to  the  most  advanced  ideas  in  that 
line  of  construction.  The  gallery,  which  is  provided 
with  a  fireproof  rail,  is  so  arranged  that  a  perfect 
view  of  the  stage  is  enjoyed  from  every  seat.  The 
lighting  apparatus  is  as  good  as  that  of  any  theatre 
in  Boston,  size  for  size,  and  better  than  many.  The 
stage  is  40  feet  wide  and  33  feet  deep,  and  is  fully 
equipped  with  scenic  machinery.  A  full-fledged 
gridiron  with  all  its  adjuncts,  seven  drops,  five  sets 
of  border  lights,  six  sets  of  scenes,  an  up-to-date 
switchboard,  permitting  all  the  lighting  effects  re- 
quired in  first-rate  dramatic  work,  a  "  pin-rack,"  and 
a  fly-gallery  attest  a  spirit  that  brooked  no  half-way 
measures  in  providing  for  the  dramatic  tastes  of  the 
people.  The  drop  curtain  portrays  a  typical  scene 
in  Venice :  A  party  on  their  way  to  a  church  festival 
in  the  early  morning,  their  gondola  full  of  choice 
flowers.  The  ceiling  of  the  auditorium  is  beautifully 
frescoed.  Religion,  Education,  and  the  Fine  Arts 
are  appropriately  symbolized  by  winged  figures  hold- 
ing garlands  exquisitely  designed.  Round  the  center- 


200       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

piece  is  a  double  circle  of  electric  lights  which 
suffuse  the  entire  hall  with  a  soft  golden  glow.  In 
the  spandrels,  against  the  delicate  rose-colored 
background,  various  instruments  of  music  and  of  the 
kindred  arts,  are  tastefully  grouped.  The  decorative 
scheme  is  completed  by  a  beautiful  design  over  the 
proscenium  arch. 

Beneath  the  stage  one  finds  five  fully  appointed 
bowling-alleys,  handsome  billiard-  and  pool-tables, 
and  gymnasium,  seventy  by  seventy  feet,  equipped 
with  a  full  set  of  apparatus,  including  the  latest 
model  eight-oared  rowing  machines,  bathrooms, 
dressing-rooms,  and  more  than  200  lockers.  Another 
practical  feature  of  the  basement  is  the  lunchroom  at 
the  front  of  the  building. 

St.  Alphonsus'  Hall  is,  in  effect,  a  splendid  club- 
house, which  provides  in  the  most  generous,  attractive 
and  modern  style  all  the  facilities  for  rational  amuse- 
ment. Although  the  building  was  designed  mainly 
for  the  use  of  the  young  men,  nevertheless,  it  was  so 
constructed  as  to  serve  the  broader  purpose  of  a 
general  parochial  club,  and  is  of  enormous  spiritual 
and  temporal  advantage  to  every  member  of  the 
parish.  Before  its  erection,  all  reunions  and  meet- 
ings, whether  of  business  or  of  pleasure,  were  held  in 
the  school  hall,  which  in  the  course  of  time  became 
ill-suited  to  the  broadening  activities  of  the  parish, 
and  utterly  inadequate  to  accommodate  the  crowd. 
Thenceforth  the  spacious  and  imposing  St.  Alphon- 
sus Hall  became  the  inspiring  center  of  many  of  the 
parish  interests,  and  the  noble  supplement  of  the 
church  and  of  the  school.  In  a  certain  sense  the  Hall 
has  become  a  diocesan  institution,  for  several  conven- 
tions of  the  Catholic  Federation  of  the  Archdiocese 
of  Boston  have  been  held  there,  at  which  some  of  the 
most  notable  addresses  ever  delivered  in  the  city  by 
His  Eminence  Cardinal  O'Connell,  have  been  given. 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  201 

The  formal  opening  of  St.  Alphonsus'  Hall  took 
place  on  Monday  evening,  February  26,  1900.  The 
inaugural  exercises  consisted  of  addresses  by  Frank 
J.  Kelter,  ex-president  of  the  Young  Men's  Mission 
Church  Association,  and  Mr.  Michael  Dwyer,  with 
an  artistic  musical  concert  by  the  best  talent  of  the 
city.  When  the  directors  of  the  St.  Alphonsus 
Association,  the  speakers,  and  Father  Frawley,  in 
the  place  of  honor,  appeared  on  the  stage,  the  audi- 
torium rang  with  enthusiastic  applause. 

Mr.  James  S.  Mahoney  introduced  Mr.  Kelter, 
who  delivered  a  graceful  address  of  congratulation 
to  Father  Frawley  on  the  magnificent  work  he  had 
done  in  the  erection  of  the  Hall.  Mr.  Mahoney  then 
presented  Mr.  Dwyer,  whose  forceful  and  eloquent 
speech  was  pitched  on  a  high  plane.  He  stressed  not 
the  material  advantages  of  St.  Alphonsus'  Hall,  but 
the  honored  name  it  bore,  the  high  purposes  it  had 
been  built  to  serve,  and  the  laudable  motives  that  had 
inspired  its  erection.  In  reference  to  its  name,  Mr. 
Dwyer  said: 

"It  was  a  happy,  auspicious  thought  to  bestow  on  this 
hall  for  the  use  of  laymen  the  name  of  the  great  St.  Alphon- 
sus de  Ligouri.  St.  Alphonsus  was  a  man  of  the  world  him- 
self before  he  became  the  great  Saint  and  missionary.  Long 
before  he  experienced  in  his  soul  the  divine  call  which  sum- 
moned him  to  a  place  among  the  evangelizers  and  savers  of 
the  world,  he  was  a  model  citizen  of  his  native  country,  a 
man  in  whom  his  fellow-countrymen  recognized  the  perfect 
Christian  gentleman,  guiding  his  life  by  the  dictates  of  strict 
honor  and  integrity  and  faithful  to  every  duty  that  devolved 
upon  him  as  a  member  of  the  family,  the  municipality,  and 
of  society.  And  if  St.  Alphonsus  Ligouri  had  never  been 
called  to  the  priesthood  and  the  episcopacy,  if  he  had  never 
enriched  the  Church  with  a  new  order  of  missionaries,  if  he 
had  never  attained  to  that  pinnacle  of  sanctity  and  learning 
which  made  him  a  Saint  and  Doctor — in  a  word,  if  he  had 
died  while  yet  a  man  of  the  world,  his  life  and  deeds  as  such 
would  have  merited  the  perpetuation  of  his  name  to  future 


202       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

generations  not  only  as  one  of  the  greatest  men  of  his  day  in 
intellect,  but  also  as  a  type  and  exemplar  of  the  perfect 
citizen  and  member  of  society." 

Towards  the  end  of  his  address,  Mr.  Dwyer,  re- 
counting the  great  achievements  of  Father  Frawley, 
said  in  part: 

"For  all  that  Father  Frawley  has  done  in  and  around  the 
parish  during  the  few  years  of  his  administration  among  us, 
he  has  won  the  admiration  and  love  of  everyone.  With  a 
mind  gifted  by  nature  with  the  power  to  conceive  large  enter- 
prises for  the  highest  objects,  a  frame  endowed  with  unflag- 
ging energy  to  put  those  projects  into  execution,  a  soul  filled 
with  zeal  for  all  the  work  that  comes  to  him  to  do,  a  heart 
ever  throbbing  with  generous  and  kindly  impulses  toward 
others,  he  has  effaced  himself  that  good  might  come  to  this 
parish,  that  the  cause  of  religion  and  morality  and  good 
citizenship  might  be  promoted." 

In  conclusion,  Mr.  Dwyer  gave  some  personal 
reminiscences  of  Father  Frawley,  and  pointed  out 
the  gift  he  early  manifested  of  winning  the  love  and 
confidence  of  his  fellows  —  a  quality  necessary  in 
every  Christian  leader  who  would  bring  men  to  God. 
He  spoke  also  of  the  lofty  disinterestedness  which 
animated  Father  Frawley,  who  by  his  vows  had  flung 
aside  all  self-seeking,  and  could  not  even  count  on 
spending  his  days  amid  the  scenes  of  his  fruitful 
labors. 

Father  Frawley,  in  response  to  an  insistent  de- 
mand, stepped  forward  and  thanked  the  Association 
and  the  people.  He  modestly  disclaimed  the  praises 
lavished  on  him  by  the  speakers  and  paid  a 
magnanimous  tribute  to  the  priests  of  his 
community,  who  had  lightened  his  labors  and 
strengthened  his  hands.  His  generous  disclaimer 
was  favorably  received  by  his  auditors  and  served  as 
another  golden  bond  to  unite  them  still  more  closely 
to  their  esteemed  and  beloved  pastor,  whose  thoughts 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  203 

by  day  and  dreams  by  night  were  of  their  spiritual 
and  temporal  welfare.  After  the  dedicatory  exer- 
cises, hundreds  of  people  from  all  sections  of  the  city 
remained  to  inspect  the  beautiful  structure. 

On  July  29,  1900,  the  Rev.  Richard  O'Regan, 
C.  SS.  R.,  sang  his  First  Mass.  The  deacon  was  the 
Rev.  James  Doyle,  C.  SS.  R.;  the  subdeacon,  the 
Rev.  Charles  McLeod,  C.  SS.  R.;  the  preacher,  the 
Rev.  Michael  Sheehan,  C.  SS.  R.  Father  O'Regan 
was  ordained,  July  25,  by  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop 
Glennon  of  St.  Louis,  at  that  time  Titular  Bishop 
of  Pinara  and  Coadjutor  Bishop  of  Kansas  City. 

A  keen  sense  of  personal  loss  and  of  resultant  sor- 
row was  awakened  in  the  hearts  of  the  community  by 
the  announcement  on  August  5,  1900,  of  the  death 
of  the  Rt.  Rev.  James  A.  Healy,  Bishop  of  Portland, 
Me.,  our  dear  old  friend  of  thirty  years,  through 
whose  instrumentality  the  Redemptorist  Fathers 
obtained  a  foundation  in  Boston. 

The  Rt.  Rev.  James  A.  Healy  was  born  near 
Macon,  Ga.,  April  6,  1830.  He  came  North  at  an 
early  age,  and  attended  Quaker  schools  on  Long 
Island  and  in  New  Jersey.  Being  highly  gifted  he 
completed,  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  a  comprehensive 
course  in  mathematics  and  qualified  for  the  position 
of  surveyor.  But  at  the  call  of  God,  he  sacrificed  his 
alluring  prospects  and  entered  Holy  Cross  College, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1849.  After  studying 
theology  for  three  years  at  the  Sulpician  Seminary  in 
Montreal,  he  went  to  Paris,  where  he  devoted  two 
years  more  to  theology,  and  took  up  the  study  of 
French,  of  which  he  eventually  became  perfect 
master.  Immediately  after  his  ordination  at  the 
Church  of  Notre  Dame,  Paris,  in  1854,  he  returned 
to  Boston,  and  was  appointed  private  secretary  to 


204       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Bishop  Fitzpatrick  and  rector  of  the  cathedral.  For 
twelve  years  he  filled  these  important  positions  to  the 
entire  satisfaction  of  the  Bishop,  who  then  transferred 
him  to  the  pastorate  of  St.  James's  Church.  Here  he 
labored  with  admirable  zeal  and  prudence  for  ten 
years,  when,  on  the  death  of  Bishop  Bacon  of  Port- 
land, Me.,  he  was  chosen  as  his  successor  and  con- 
secrated by  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Williams, 
June  2,  1875.  Under  Bishop  Healy's  long  adminis- 
tration of  25  years,  the  diocese  made  conspicuous 
progress  in  every  department  of  Catholic  activity. 
He  enjoyed  to  a  high  degree  the  esteem  and  con- 
fidence of  the  clergy  and  of  the  laity  and  was  univer- 
sally respected  by  the  citizens  of  Portland  without 
regard  to  race  or  creed.  His  funeral  was  a  remark- 
able tribute  to  his  memory.  The  State's  best  and 
noblest  men  came  to  look  for  the  last  time  on  the 
kindly  face  of  the  "  great  priest  who  in  his  day  hath 
pleased  the  Lord." 

On  the  first  Sunday  of  Advent,  December  2,  the 
Rev.  Cornelius  J.  Warren,  C.  SS.  R.,  celebrated  his 
First  Mass.  He  was  assisted  by  the  Rev.  James 
Hayes,  C.  SS.  R.,  as  deacon,  and  the  Rev.  Edward 
Scully,  C.  SS.  R.,  as  subdeacon.  The  sermon  was 
preached  by  the  Rev.  Francis  L.  Kenzel,  C.  SS.  R. 
Father  Warren  was  ordained  November  28,  at 
Ilchester,  Md.,  by  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons. 
About  three  weeks  later,  on  Christmas  Day,  the  Rev. 
Patrick  J.  Scannell  sang  his  First  Mass.  The  Rev. 
James  Hayes,  C.  SS.  R.,  was  deacon,  the  Rev.  Ed- 
ward Scully,  C.  SS.  R.,  subdeacon,  and  the  Rev. 
Father  Rector  Frawley  preached.  Father  Scannell 
was  ordained  December  21,  by  the  late  Archbishop 
Williams. 

The  dawn  of  the  new  century  was  ushered  in  at 
the  Mission  Church  with  impressive  solemnity.  On 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  205 

New  Year's  Eve,  the  Fathers  were  kept  busy  in  the 
confessionals  until  11:30  P.  M.,  and  as  midnight 
approached  thousands  of  worshipers  flocked  to  the 
church.  At  five  minutes  of  twelve,  the  lights  were 
lowered  to  semidarkness,  and  Father  Frawley 
ascended  the  pulpit.  Amid  the  profound  stillness 
that  prevailed,  his  powerful  voice  rang  out  in  the 
following  prayer:  "We  are  standing  on  the  brink 
of  a  new  century,  and  we  beseech  Thee,  Heavenly 
Father  of  Mercy,  to  protect  us  during  the  coming 
year  from  all  sin  and  from  all  misfortune  of  body 
and  soul."  All  heads  were  then  bowed  in  silent 
prayer.  The  instant  the  midnight  bells  sounded, 
everyone  of  the  2,800  electric  lights  in  the  church  was 
turned  on  full  current,  and  the  massive  temple  be- 
came a  Gorgeous  Palace  of  White.  Immediately 
afterwards  a  grand  "Te  Deum"  was  chanted,  fol- 
lowed by  Solemn  Mass.  Father  Frawley,  who 
preached,  outlined  the  work  done  by  the  Fathers 
since  the  establishment  of  the  church  in  1871. 
Although  admission  was  by  ticket,  the  crowd  was  so 
great  that  Mass  had  to  be  said  in  the  basement  for 
the  overflow.  Nearly  2,000  people  approached  Holy 
Communion  at  the  Mass  in  the  upper  church. 

Among  those  present  were  a  lady  and  a  gentleman 
who  were  destined  to  render  noble  service  in  the 
cause  of  our  holy  religion,  especially  in  combating 
the  pernicious  errors  of  Socialism  —  Mrs.  Martha 
Moore  Avery,  president,  and  Mr.  David  Goldstein, 
secretary  of  the  Catholic  Truth  Guild.  What  Mrs. 
Avery  saw  on  this  occasion  helped  to  bring  about  her 
conversion.  In  a  letter  to  the  writer,  she  said,  "her 
attendance  at  a  Midnight  Mass  celebrated  at  the 
Mission  Church,  in  honor  of  the  incoming  century 
gave  her  a  great  impulse  forward  towards  the 
Catholic  Church."  Having  long  sought  the  Truth 


206       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

elsewhere  in  vain,  Mrs.  Avery  began  to  feel 
that,  perhaps,  in  the  Catholic  Church  she  might  find 
that  treasure  for  which  her  heart  and  intellect  so 
ardently  craved.  A  visit  to  the  Mission  Church 
would  help  her  towards  the  Light.  Together  with 
her  old  "  mystic  master  "  and  Mr.  Goldstein,  she  was 
seated  in  the  beautiful  edifice,  intently  studying  the 
countenances  of  those  around  her.  "  At  the  elevation 
of  the  Host,"  she  says,  "the  atmosphere  became 
pregnant,  as  vital  as  though  a  nipping  frost  had 
attacked  the  entire  surface  of  the  body — then  a 
movement  of  that  immense  throng  led  the  thousands 
to  and  from  the  altar-rails.  But  what  had  happened 
to  the  faces  of  those  men  nearby,  who  came  back  to 
their  seats?  An  illumination,  an  ecstatic  force  flow- 
ing through  their  forms,  transfigures  their  faces.  All 
in  one  minute  innocence  and  cherubic  loveliness  came 
into  visible  structure  ....  no  such  vivid  and  lasting 
impression  had  ever  been  received  elsewhere." 

On  May  17,  1901,  Father  Frawley  was  once  more 
designated  Rector  of  the  Mission  Church.  The  joy 
caused  by  the  announcement  was  universal.  He  had 
proved  himself  a  Tower  of  Strength  to  the  com- 
'munity  and  to  the  parishioners,  and  although  he  had 
already  held  office  for  eleven  years,  it  was  their 
fervent  wish  and  prayer  that  he  might  be  allowed  to 
remain  with  them  still  longer,  in  order  to  continue 
his  labors  in  their  behalf,  and,  in  particular  to  realize 
a  certain  great  aim  that  had  for  several  years  lain 
dormant  in  his  mind. 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  207 


THE  NEW  RECTORY. 

At  the  time  of  the  dedication  of  St.  Alphonsus' 
Hall,  in  February,  1900,  the  Boston  Pilot  said, 
among  other  things: 

"It  (the  hall)  completes  one  of  the  finest  groups  of  church 
buildings  in  the  country — church,  schoolhouse,  convent,  all 
consistent  and  beautiful,  though,  perhaps,  we  should  modify 
the  term  'complete*  until  the  Redemptorists  are  provided 
with  a  residence  in  keeping  with  the  rest  of  the  church  prop- 
erty." 

There  you  have  it.  During  term  No.  5,  Father 
Frawley's  master  achievement  is  to  be  the  building 
of  a  new  rectory. 

With  the  onward  march  of  time,  corroding  in  its 
devastating  sweep  all  things  of  earth,  the  old  frame 
building,  part  of  which  was  borne  down  by  the 
weight  of  nearly  180  years,  had  greatly  deteriorated 
and  was  no  longer  suitable  for  a  religious  community; 
accordingly,  it  had  to  make  way  for  a  more  commodi- 
ous and  up-to-date  structure.  Plans  were  drawn  for 
a  new  parochial  residence  to  be  built  on  the  site  of 
the  old  one,  and  before  the  latter  was  torn  down  to 
make  room  for  its  successor,  a  temporary  rectory 
was  put  up  on  St.  Alphonsus  Street.  The  founda- 
tions of  this  building  were  begun  September  25, 
1901;  it  was  ready  for  occupancy  March  31,  1902; 
and  a  few  days  after  the  community  moved  in.  La- 
ter, when  vacated  by  the  Fathers,  it  became  the 
headquarters  of  the  Guild  of  Our  Lady,  and  after- 
wards was  pressed  into  service  as  an  auxiliary  school 
building. 

An  air  of  sadness  marked  the  departure  of  the 
community  from  the  old  house,  to  which  were 


208       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

attached  so  many  happy  memories.  On  April  2,  the 
demolition  of  Brinley  Place  was  begun.  A  large 
number  of  parishioners  assembled  to  witness  the  de- 
struction of  the  once  famous  mansion,  and  as  they 
beheld  the  venerable  walls  crumble  and  tumble  to 
the  ground,  some  of  them  could  not  restrain  their 
tears.  One  of  the  Boston  papers  contained  the 
following  notice  of  the  occurrence: 

"In  a  few  days  nothing  but  the  memory  of  one  of  the  city's 
oldest  and  most  historic  houses  will  linger  in  the  minds  of 
the  inhabitants  of  Roxbury;  for  the  old  Rectory  building, 
constructed  over  a  century  ago  and  lately  occupied  by  the 
Redemptorist  Fathers  on  Mission  Hill  will  have  been  com- 
pletely torn  down.  This  immense  wooden  house,  which  has 
been  connected  with  many  of  the  historical  features  of  the 
old  Revolutionary  days,  has  always  been  a  matter  of  interest 
to  the  citizens  of  the  city,  especially  Roxbury,  and  it  is  with 
regret  that  they  see  it  demolished  to  make  way  for  the  march 
of  progress,  and  a  magnificent  new  building  to  be  erected 
upon  this  site." 

Of  the  provisional  rectory  the  same  paper  said: 

"This  week  has  been  a  busy  one  for  the  Fathers,  who 
removed  the  last  of  their  belongings  from  the  old  building, 
and  temporarily  installed  themselves  in  the  new  three-story 
building  on  St.  Alphonsus  street,  where  they  will  reside, 
pending  the  erection  of  the  permanent  Rectory.  The  new 
building  is  of  brick  trimmed  with  granite,  and  has  two  en- 
trances from  St.  Alphonsus  street,  leading  to  separate  stair- 
ways constructed  of  fireproof  material.  There  are  four 
large  rooms  on  each  floor,  besides  a  basement,  and  in  the 
upper  part  are  the  sleeping  apartments. 

"The  sanitary  arrangements,  etc.,  in  the  building  are  of 
the  most  improved  lines  and  types,  and  the  building  is  a 
model  one.  It  is  proposed  that  when  the  new  parochial  resi- 
dence is  built,  this  brick  building  will  be  devoted  to  the 
further  needs  of  the  parochial  school,  also  for  the  young 
women  of  the  parish  for  meeting  purposes." 

The  razing  of  the  old  house  was  completed  on 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  209 

April  5,  and  on  the  14th,  the  foundations  of  the  new 
building  were  prepared.  One  week  later  the  digging 
of  the  foundations  was  commenced,  on  the  west  side 
of  the  prospective  rectory.  On  June  2,  the  first 
brick  was  laid. 

On  November  15, 1903,  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop 
Williams,  in  the  presence  of  about  50  priests  of  the 
archdiocese,  blessed  the  new  parochial  residence. 

This  beautiful  building  stands  to  the  west  of  the 
church;  faces,  like  it,  on  Tremont  Street,  and  is  L- 
shaped.  Along  the  latter  street,  it  extends  160  feet; 
along  St.  Alphonsus  Street,  104  feet.  It  is  three 
stories  high,  and  has  an  immense  basement  of  granite ; 
the  superstructure  is  of  brick  with  limestone  trim- 
mings. The  design  of  the  front  is  at  once  graceful 
and  suggestive  of  the  purpose  of  the  building.  The 
external  beauty  of  the  house  is  heightened  by  the 
fact  that  it  stands  far  back  of  the  building  line,  and 
is  fronted  by  a  well-kept  lawn  surrounded  by  an  iron 
railing  superimposed  on  a  low  stone  wall.  From 
Tremont  Street,  there  are  two  entrances;  one,  in  the 
center  of  the  building;  the  other,  at  the  eastern  end. 
The  latter  entrance,  which  is  53  feet  from  the  church, 
leads  to  a  large  waiting-room,  to  the  left  of  which  is 
the  office  of  the  rectory ;  to  the  right,  seven  reception- 
rooms,  three  of  which  are  so  arranged  that  they  can 
easily  be  converted  into  one  large  room. 

On  the  first  floor  is  the  community  chapel — large, 
grand  and  imposing — in  all  respects  a  miniature 
church,  even  to  the  choir-gallery,  which  contains  a 
window  so  placed  that  one  who  is  confined  to  the  in- 
firmary may  easily  hear  Mass.  The  chapel  is  painted 
in  olive,  relieved  by  dado  work  done  in  buff  and 
ornamented  with  gold  and  Venetian  red.  The  six 
beautiful  stained-glass  windows — donated  by  mem- 
bers of  the  parish — are  adorned  with  paintings  of 


210       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus,  the  Immaculate  Heart  of 
Mary,  St.  Joseph,  St.  Alphonsus,  St.  Clement  Hof- 
bauer,  and  St.  Gerard  Majella.  The  Stations  of  the 
Cross  were  imported  from  Belgium.  There  are  three 
magnificent  oil  paintings:  one  above  the  high  altar, 
representing  Jesus  conversing  with  the  disciples  on 
their  way  to  Emmaus ;  and  two  on  the  right  side,  the 
one  portraying  Our  Lord  in  the  act  of  supporting  St. 
Peter,  who  is  about  to  sink  beneath  the  waves;  the 
other,  St.  Mary  Magdalen  weeping  at  the  tomb  of 
her  Beloved.  The  whole  decorative  scheme  is  such 
as  to  inspire  deep  devotion  and  instil  a  love  of 
prayer.  On  the  first  floor  there  is  also  a  suite  of 
rooms  reserved  for  the  use  of  visiting  prelates. 

The  library,  which  begins  on  the  second  floor  and 
extends  through  two  stories,  contains  thousands  of 
volumes,  among  which  are  some  of  priceless  value. 
The  oldest,  a  Latin  work  on  a  sacred  subject,  was 
printed  in  1624,  but  may  be  read  with  as  little  diffi- 
culty as  many  publications  that  left  the  press  less 
than  fifty  years  ago.  The  library  contains  three 
galleries,  by  which  the  books  are  reached,  and  a  large 
number  of  windows.  Numerous  electric  lights  facili- 
tate reading  by  night.  The  remainder  of  the  second 
and  third  stories  is  occupied  with  living  apartments 
for  the  members  of  the  community,  each  of  whom  has 
one  room  fairly  large,  airy  and  lightsome,  but  fur- 
nished with  traditional  ascetical  severity. 

In  the  center  of  the  building,  just  below  the  roof, 
is  a  large  niche  containing  a  statue  of  St.  Alphonsus. 
The  roof  is  flat,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  balustrade  of 
gray  sandstone  ornamented  with  "  acorns."  Afford- 
ing a  splendid  view  of  the  city  and  of  the  suburbs,  the 
roof  is  an  ideal  place  for  rest  and  recreation.  In 
the  basement  are  the  dining  room,  kitchen,  and 
pantry;  likewise,  a  large  apartment  which  serves  for 


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THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  211 

choir  rehearsals  and  as  the  parish  library.  The  rectory 
is  finished  in  ash,  filled,  shellacked  and  varnished ;  and 
the  iron  work  has  the  appearance  of  antique  bronze. 
The  parochial  residence  was  Father  Frawley's  last 
great  work  at  the  Mission  Church,  and  for  years  to 
come  will  stand  as  an  eloquent  proof  of  his  genius 
as  a  builder. 

In  the  Irish  World  for  May  28,  1904,  appeared  a 
beautiful  poem  on  the  community  chapel  by  Mary 
Sarsfield  Gilmore,  who  inspected  the  rectory  before 
the  law  of  inclosure  was  in  force.  The  poem  will  be 
given  at  the  end  of  this  book. 

During  the  building  of  the  new  rectory,  the  affairs 
of  the  parish  moved,  for  the  most  part,  along  the  nor- 
mal lines.  A  few  events,  however,  deserve  special 
mention.  On  December  8,  1901,  the  beautiful  Feast 
of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  the  Rev.  Joseph  C. 
Krickser,  C.  SS.  R.,  said  his  First  Mass.  The  deacon 
was  the  Rev.  James  Hayes,  C.  SS.  R.,  the  subdeacon, 
the  Rev.  Augustine  Duke,  C.  SS.R.  The  Rev. 
Andrew  Wynn,  C.  SS.R.,  was  archpriest.  As  the 
Forty  Hours'  Devotion  was  opened  at  the  Mass,  there 
was  no  sermon  then,  but  in  the  evening  the  Rev. 
William  White,  C.  SS.R.,  preached  on  "The  Dig- 
nity of  the  Priesthood."  Father  Krickser  was 
ordained  December  6,  at  Ilchester,  Md.,  by  His 
Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons.  On  June  21,  1903, 
the  Rev.  John  F.  Toohey,  C.SS.R.,  offered  up  his 
First  Mass.  The  Rev.  Daniel  Callahan,  a  cousin,  was 
deacon;  the  Rev.  Patrick  Lyons,  subdeacon;  and  the 
Rev.  Francis  L.  Kenzel,  C.SS.R.,  preached.  Father 
Toohey  was  ordained  June  16,  at  the  Baltimore 
Cathedral  by  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons. 

A  pall  of  gloom  spread  over  the  community  and 
the  parish,  when  early  in  April,  1903,  the  beloved 


212       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Father  Sheehan  was  stricken  with  appendicitis.  In 
fact,  all  Catholic  Boston  was  concerned  about  the 
devoted  priest,  as  appears  from  the  following  lines, 
taken  from  the  Republic  for  April  20 : 

"The  Rev.  Michael  J.  Sheehan,  C.SS.R.,  who  has  been  for 
the  past  few  weeks  confined  to  a  hospital  from  the  effects  of 
an  operation,  undergone  by  him  for  appendicitis,  is  so  far 
improved  that  he  will  leave  the  hospital  in  less  than  a  week. 

"The  popularity  of  Father  Sheehan  was  never  better 
tested  than  it  was  during  his  present  siege  of  illness.  In- 
quiries innumerable,  not  only  from  his  parishioners  at  the 
Mission  Church,  but  from  every  parish  in  the  Archdiocese, 
especially  where  Father  Sheehan  has  visited  in  retreats  and 
missions,  have  been  made.  The  sudden  attack  came  when 
the  beloved  priest  was  apparently  in  the  best  of  health;  in 
fact,  he  had  delivered  a  sermon  the  very  night  it  occurred. 
Its  seriousness  caused  considerable  alarm,  but  Father  Shee- 
han's  robust  constitution  stood  him  in  good  stead  and  pulled 
him  through." 


THE  ADMINISTRATION  OF  FATHER  HAYES. 

Father  Frawley's  activities  faded  out  of  the  film 
on  May  13,  1904,  when  word  was  received  that  the 
Rev.  James  Hayes,  C.  SS.  R.,  who  for  more  than  five 
years  had  labored  faithfully  and  zealously  at  the 
Mission  Church,  had  been  appointed  rector.  The 
keen  regret  caused  by  the  departure  of  Father 
Frawley  had  its  silver  lining  in  the  news  that  he  was 
to  be  succeeded  by  one  who  had  gained  the  confidence, 
esteem  and  affection  of  all  by  his  truly  priestly  char- 
acter. The  following  morning  the  official  document 
apprising  Father  Hayes  of  his  appointment  came  to 
hand,  and  immediately  afterwards  he  was  formally 
inducted  into  office. 

At  midnight  Father  Frawley  stole  away  quietly 
to  his  new  post,  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  213 

Perpetual  Help,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  of  which  he  had 
been  named  rector. 

On  May  14,  the  Boston  Globe  printed  the  follow- 
ing notice  of  the  change  of  rectors : 

"In  a  telegram  received  yesterday  afternoon  from  the 
mother  house  of  the  Redemptorist  Order  at  Baltimore,  at  the 
Mission  Church,  the  largest  Catholic  parish  in  Roxbury, 
announcement  was  made  of  a  change  of  pastorate  for  Rev. 
John  J.  Frawley,  C.SS.R.,  and  of  the  appointment  of  his 
successor  in  Roxbury,  Rev.  James  Hayes,  C.SS.R.  Last 
evening,  when  the  news  first  spread  about  the  parish,  the 
deepest  interest  was  displayed,  for  the  Mission  Church  has 
played  a  most  important  part  in  the  spiritual  and  social  life 
of  Roxbury.  As  these  clergymen  have  firm  hold  of  the  hearts 
of  their  people,  there  was  both  regret  at  Father  Frawley's 
departure  and  joy  at  Father  Hayes'  appointment.  .  .  . 
In  Father  Frawley,  who  came  to  the  Mission  Church  in  1890, 
the  parish  has  had  one  of  its  wisest  and  ablest  leaders. 
The  Rectorship  of  Father  Frawley  has  marked  an 
important  epoch  in  the  history  of  the  Mission  Church,  for 
he  it  was  who  raised  immense  funds  that  permitted  of  the 
erection  of  the  magnificent  St.  Alphonsus  clubhouse  and  the 
handsome  parochial  residence.  While  the  magnitude  of  these 
achievements  is  of  itself  great,  it  was  but  a  part  of  Father 
Frawley's  work,  for  his  untiring  and  unceasing  labors  in 
the  upbuilding  of  his  parish  are  inestimable." 

The  same  day  the  Boston  Herald  contained  the 
following  editorial: 

"It  is  rare  indeed  that  a  change  in  the  leadership  of  a 
Roman  Catholic  parish  means  so  much  as  the  departure  of 
Father  Frawley  of  the  Mission  Church.  .  .  .  Father 
Frawley  has  seen  his  charge  grow  from  an  ordinary  parish 
to  one  of  the  most  important,  populous  and  influential 
parishes  in  New  England,  if  not  in  the  country.  The  methods 
and  the  agencies  devised  round  the  picturesque  church  on 
Parker  Hill  are  models  of  modern  parochial  development; 
most  of  this  the  reflection  of  the  far-seeing  acumen  and  ad- 
ministrative ability  of  this  unostentatious  priest,  who,  under 
the  itinerant  rules  of  the  Redemptorist  Order,  must  perforce 


214       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

go  to  other  fields  of  labor.  He  has  been  a  real  pastor  of  his 
flock,  and  to  the  outside  world,  less  directly  concerned,  a 
forceful  and  ennobling  influence." 

Of  the  incoming  rector,  Father  Hayes,  the  Boston 
Globe  for  May  14,  said: 

"Father  Hayes  was  born  in  Paterson,  N.  J.,  39  years  ago. 
After  his  course  at  the  Redemptorist  House  of  Studies  at 
Hchester,  he  was  ordained  about  ten  years  ago.  .  .  . 
After  four  years  as  an  assistant  in  Brooklyn,  he  came  to 
Roxbury  as  an  assistant  at  the  Mission  Church.  This  was 
five  years  ago  last  January. 

"In  his  duties  as  an  assistant,  Father  Hayes  has  accom- 
plished much.  Perhaps  the  most  substantial  form  of  his 
achievements  to  those  who  look  for  outward  signs  of  results, 
is  his  work  among  the  boys  under  18  years  of  age,  among 
whom  he  organized  the  Mission  Church  Band.  These  boys 
had  in  Father  Hayes  not  only  a  wise  and  benevolent  spiritual 
adviser,  but  a  close  and  firm  friend.  He  has  been  their  help 
and  counsel  since  he  first  took  up  work  among  them.  The 
Band,  with  its  110  pieces,  is  a  splendid  testimonial  to  his 
energy  and  zeal.  Not  only  here,  but  in  the  Sunday  school 
as  well,  has  his  power  and  personality  been  felt." 

Several  days  later,  the  same  paper  published  a 
lengthy  article,  from  which  we  quote  extracts: 

"At  all  the  services  in  Roxbury  last  Sunday,  Father  Hayes 
paid  a  loving  tribute  to  his  predecessor,  and  recounted  his 
deeds,  many  of  which  the  world,  he  said,  will  never  know. 

"Father  Frawley  was  beloved  by  young  and  old;  he  was 
sympathetic  and  ever  ready  to  help  the  poor,  the  distressed, 
the  sick,  the  suffering.  Children  and  their  parents  were  bene- 
fited alike  by  him — he  neglected  none. 

"More  enduring  than  the  magnificent  buildings  he  has 
erected,  however,  are  the  kindly  deeds  he  performed  for  the 
needy  of  his  flock,  and  his  name,  inscribed  in  letters  of  love 
on  their  hearts,  will  be  more  lasting  than  either  bronze  or 
stone. 

"Right  here  it  is  well  to  mention  as  a  characteristic  of 
Father  Frawley — his  modesty.  Three  years  or  so  ago  the 
young  men  of  the  parish  presented  him  a  fine  oil  painting  of 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  215 

himself,  to  be  hung  over  the  entrance  of  the  theatre  within 
the  St.  Alphonsus  Hall.  He  graciously  accepted  the  gift, 
but  it  was  stored  in  the  garret  and  never  hung  during  his 
pastorate. 

"When  he  left  the  Roxbury  parish,  one  of  the  first  things 
his  successor,  Father  Hayes,  did  was  to  hunt  up  this  fine 
large  portrait,  and  with  the  aid  of  several  priests  it  was 
hung  in  the  central  position  in  the  handsome  foyer. 

"But  in  losing  Father  Frawley  the  parishioners  point  with 
pride  to  his  successor,  Rev.  Father  Hayes,  who  has  been  with 
them  for  the  past  five  years.  They  have  learned  to  love  him, 
too,  and  they  have  full  confidence  in  his  ability  to  carry  on 
the  great  work  which  Father  Frawley  has  been  doing.  They 
will  give  him  the  same  loyal  support  which  they  have  for  so 
many  years  accorded  to  his  predecessor." 

On  June  16,  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons 
ordained  to  the  priesthood  at  the  Redemptorist  Semi- 
nary at  Ilchester,  Md.,  six  clerics,  three  of  whom 
were  boys  of  the  Mission  Church  Parish:  the  Rev. 
John  O'Leary,  the  Rev.  John  O 'Regan,  and  the 
Rev.  Stephen  L.  Ahern.  Father  O 'Regan  and 
Father  Ahern  offered  up  the  Holy  Sacrifice  for  the 
first  time  on  June  19,  the  Feast  of  Our  Lady  of 
Perpetual  Help;  the  latter  at  7:00,  the  former  at 
10:00  A.  M.  At  Father  Ahern's  Mass,  Father 
O 'Regan  was  deacon,  and  the  Rev.  Charles  McCor- 
mick,  C.  SS.R.,  subdeacon.  The  Rev.  Henry  Gareis, 
C.  SS.R.,  preached.  Father  O'Regan  was  assisted 
by  Father  Ahern  as  deacon,  and  the  Rev.  Francis 
Gallagher,  C.  SS.R.,  as  subdeacon.  The  preacher 
was  the  Rev.  John  A.  Hanley,  C.  SS.  R.  The  follow- 
ing Sunday,  the  26th,  Father  O'Leary  celebrated 
his  First  Mass.  He  had  as  deacon,  the  Rev.  Richard 
Donohoe,  C. SS.R.,  and  as  subdeacon,  the  Rev. 
Charles  Hoff,  C. SS.R.  The  sermon  was  preached 
by  the  Rev.  William  Brick,  C.SS.R.,  Prefect  of 
Students  at  Ilchester,  Md. 


216       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


The  Printing-Press. 

One  of  the  first  important  achievements  of  Father 
Hayes  was  to  install  a  printing-press  in  the  basement 
of  the  rectory.  For  years  there  had  been  a  great 
demand  on  the  part  of  the  faithful  for  literature  on 
religious  subjects,  especially  on  the  devotion  to  Our 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help.  Pamphlets  printed  else- 
where had  always  been  obtainable  at  the  rectory,  but 
as  the  supply  sometimes  fell  short  of  the  steadily 
mounting  demand,  the  conviction  grew  that  if  we  had 
our  own  printing  establishment,  it  would  solve  a  per- 
plexing problem,  and  enable  us  to  enlarge  our  oppor- 
tunities for  prosecuting  the  apostolate  of  the  press. 
The  man  to  take  charge  of  the  work  was  at  hand  in 
the  person  of  Bro.  Terence,  a  skilled  printer;  accord- 
ingly, a  large  press  was  purchased,  and  the  Mission 
Church  before  long  became  a  prominent  center, 
whence  were  issued  many  books  and  pamphlets 
designed  to  promote  faith  and  piety.  Time  abundantly 
proved  the  wisdom  of  the  venture,  and  such  was  the 
success  that  attended  it  that  in  1907,  a  fully  equipped 
printing-shop  was  built  on  St.  Alphonsus  Street,  be- 
tween the  rectory  and  the  overflow  school  building. 

Father  Hayes  was  always  on  the  alert  for  timely 
and  practical  sermons  and  lectures,  which  he  had 
printed  in  brochure  form  and  inserted  in  the  large 
bookstand  just  inside  the  main  entrance  of  the  rec- 
tory. A  close  inspection  of  the  book-rack  reveals  as 
many  as  85  different  papers  and  booklets  by  promi- 
nent Catholic  authors  on  subjects  of  burning  interest. 
Printed  in  gilt  letters  in  a  conspicuous  place  on  the 
stand,  one  reads  the  salutary  admonition  of  the  late 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  217 

Pope  Pius  X:  "Catholics  should  read  and  support 
Catholic  literature."  With  such  a  fine  printing-press, 
such  a  well-stocked  book-rack,  and  such  reasonable 
prices  as  obtain,  the  Fathers  are  doing  all  in  their 
power  to  make  it  easy  for  the  people  to  obey  the 
wise  in  junction  of  the  saintly  Pontiff.  The  book-rack, 
happy  to  say,  does  missionary  work  not  only  among 
our  Catholic  people,  but  also  among  those  alien  to 
the  Church.  When  non-Catholics  ask  for  a  simple 
and  popular  explanation  of  some  point  of  our  Holy 
Faith,  the  Fathers  are  able  to  supplement  their  oral 
instructions  by  handing  the  seeker  after  Truth  a  neat 
and  concise  pamphlet  which  helps  to  dispel  his  doubts, 
and  to  point  out  the  Light  that  never  fails  and  the 
Ground  that  never  gives. 

On  June  25,  1905,  the  Rev.  James  Lynch, 
C.SS.R.,  and  the  Rev.  Edward  Holland,  C.SS.R., 
who  had  been  ordained  three  days  before  at  Ilchester, 
Md.,  by  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons,  celebrated 
their  First  Mass;  Father  Holland  at  7  and  Father 
Lynch  at  10  o'clock.  At  Father  Holland's  Mass, 
the  Rev.  T.  J.  Colahan,  a  cousin,  was  deacon;  and 
Father  Lynch,  subdeacon.  The  parochial  school 
children  received  their  first  Holy  Communion  at  this 
Mass.  At  Father  Lynch's  Mass,  Father  Holland 
acted  as  deacon  and  Father  Colahan,  as  subdeacon. 
For  the  two  occasions,  one  sermon  was  preached  at 
Father  Lynch's  Mass  by  Father  Brick. 

In  1904  the  celebrated  French  clergyman,  Abbe 
Felix  Klein,  toured  the  United  States  ;  while  in  Bos- 
ton, he  visited  the  Mission  Church,  and  in  his  book 
entitled,  "  In  the  Land  of  the  Strenuous  Life,"  he 
tells  his  readers  what  he  learned  there.  We  quote  in 
part : 


218       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

"Every  person  in  this  parish  is  reached  by  one  or  other 
of  the  six  sodalities,  two  of  which  are  intended  for  boys  and 
girls  under  sixteen  years  of  age,  one  for  young  men,  one  for 
young  women,  one  for  married  men,  and  one  for  married 
women.  The  priests  keep  careful  lists  of  their  parishioners, 
and  should  anyone  hold  aloof  from  the  societies,  or  miss  Mass 
on  Sunday,  he  or  she  would  be  looked  up,  admonished,  and  if 
possible  recalled  to  a  better  observance  of  religious  duties. 
The  parochial  school,  with  a  teaching  force  of  thirty  Sisters 
of  Notre  Dame,  and  one  laywoman,  contains  as  pupils  891 
boys  and  967  girls.  Besides  these,  there  are  some  three  or 
four  hundred  other  Catholic  children  in  the  parish  who  attend 
the  public  schools ;  and  the  whole  two  thousand  are  looked 
out  for  by  the  proper  sodalities. 

"The  parish  buildings  occupy  an  entire  city  square,  or 
block;  so  that  a  handsome  and  by  no  means  unimportant 
town  is  thus  formed  by  the  beautiful  church,  the  rectory,  the 
school,  and  club-house.  It  all  looks  thoroughly  comfortable, 
too,  and  with  its  air  of  simple  but  substantial  grandeur,  free 
from  luxury  or  affectation,  but  impressing  one  with  its  air 
of  dignity,  contentment,  and  happiness. 

"A  private  dynamo  in  a  separate  building  provides  steam 
heat  and  electric  light  in  a  most  economical  way.  The  the- 
atre for  lectures  and  entertainments,  the  clubrooms,  the 
library,  the  gymnasium  with  its  equipment  for  games  and  for 
baths,  are  all  quite  irreproachable ;  and  I  can  well  believe  that 
reunions  are  looked  forward  to  with  eager  anticipation. 
Thus  religion,  education,  and  recreation  are  all  provided  by 
the  parish.  It  is  like  a  return  to  the  Middle  Ages,  but  with 
greater  perfection  of  detail,  more  independence,  a  wise  adap- 
tation to  new  conditions. 

"As  in  the  good  old  ages  of  faith  the  Cathedral  was  built 
by  the  people  themselves,  so  this  church  and  all  its  dependen- 
cies have  been  erected  by  the  voluntary  contributions  of  the 
faithful,  the  whole  costing  over  a  million  dollars.  The 
Redemptorists  did  not  enter  Boston  until  1871,  and  started 
the  church  only  in  1876.  Let  me  again  insist  on  the  fact  that 
the  parish  numbers  but  eleven  thousand  souls,  and  add  that 
it  is  in  a  district  by  no  means  wealthy.  The  entire  expenses 
have  been  met  by  the  offerings  of  people  comparatively  poor, ; 
and  while  we  can  well  imagine  the  spirit  of  sacrifice  and  gen- 
erosity implied  in  this,  at  the  same  time  we  must  realize  the 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  219 

strong  bond  of  sympathy  thus  established  between  the  par- 
ishioners— who,  by  the  way,  receive  an  account  of  every 
penny  spent — and  the  institutions  which  they  themselves  have 
both  planned  and  paid  for ;  in  a  word,  between  the  people  and 
the  religion  which  they  are  supporting"  (pp.  57-58). 


St.  Gerard's  Chapel. 

To  beautify  the  church,  which  he  loved  so  dearly, 
was  meat  and  drink  to  Father  Hayes.    But  Father 
Frawley  had  so  completely  carried  out  his  scheme 
of  embellishing  the  upper  church  that  little  remained 
to  be  done  there,  except  in  the  way  of  touching  up 
the  decorations.     Father  Hayes,  therefore,  turned 
his  attention  to  the  basement,  which  he  enlarged  and 
beautified.      As    our   readers    may    remember,    the 
church  was  built  on  solid  rock;  years  ago  Father 
Henning  had  put  in  a  wooden  floor,  which,  following 
the  natural  conformation  of  the  rock,  was  not  uni- 
formly level,  but  rose  and  fell  at  different  points,  at 
which  a  few  steps  aided  the  ascent  and  the  descent. 
As  the  basement  was  rather  dark,  it  sometimes  hap- 
pened that  people  stumbled  at  the  steps  and  were 
thus  exposed  to  injury.    Father  Hayes  removed  this 
source  of  danger  by  substituting  for  the  wooden  floor 
a  concrete  one,  of  uniform  level  and  easy  declivity. 
Moreover,  he  had  the  solid  rock  in  the  rear  blasted  all 
the  way  through,  and  at  each  end  of  the  passageway 
thus  formed,  he  added  an  entrance,  making  four  in  all. 
He  then  constructed  a  wide  vestibule  with  three  doors 
leading  to  the  three  aisles.     Furthermore,  Father 
Hayes  replaced  the  main  altar,  built  of  wood,  with 
one  of  marble;  he  put  in  two  additional  altars   and 
installed  several  beautiful  paintings,  in  particular, 
one  of  the  Holy  Family.  The  basement  thus  improved 
and  renovated  he  named   St.   Gerard's  Chapel  in 


220       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

hdnor  of  St.  Gerard  Majella,  C.  SS.R.,  who  was 
canonized  by  Pope  Pius  X  on  December  11,  1904. 

The  solemn  opening  of  the  chapel  took  place 
January  7,  1906.  The  Rev.  Michael  J.  Sheehan, 
C.  SS.R.,  preached  an  appropriate  sermon  on  the 
occasion.  At  the  present  time  the  chapel  contains 
four  altars,  two  marble  and  two  wooden,  and  has  a 
seating  capacity  of  1680.  The  acoustics  have  been 
so  well  arranged  that  a  preacher,  even  when  using 
ordinary  conversational  tones,  can  be  heard  in  every 
part  of  the  chapel.  Three  Masses  are  said  there  every 
Sunday,  and,  in  view  of  the  tremendous  growth  of 
the  parish,  it  has  become  an  essential  part  of  the 
church.  Father  Hayes  is  to  be  congratulated  on  hav- 
ing done  such  noble  work  in  honor  of  Our  Lady  of 
Perpetual  Help  and  of  her  faithful  servant,  St. 
Gerard  Majella. 

On  New  Year's  Day,  the  Feast  of  the  Circum- 
cision, 1906,  the  Rev.  Walter  Mitchell,  who  had  been 
ordained  at  the  Boston  Cathedral  on  December  22, 
1905,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Brady,  celebrated  his 
First  Mass.  The  preacher  was  the  Rev.  Henry  Gareis, 
C.  SS.R.  Father  Mitchell  was  the  first  graduate  of 
the  Mission  Church  School  to  be  ordained  priest.  In 
the  afternoon  the  Alumni  Association  gave  him 
a  magnificent  reception,  at  which  they  pre- 
sented him  with  a  purse  of  $50  in  gold.  On  Christ- 
mas Day,  1906,  the  Rev.  Thomas  O'Dowd  sang  his 
First  Mass.  The  Rev.  Geo.  A.  Crimmen  was  deacon 
and  preacher;  and  the  Rev.  Henry  Borgmann, 
C.  SS.R.,  was  subdeacon.  Father  O'Dowd  was 
ordained  on  December  23,  at  the  Baltimore  Cathe- 
dral by  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons. 

Father  Hayes  received  official  notification  on  May 
19,  1907,  that  he  had  been  reappointed  Rector.  He 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  221 

had  so  amply  justified  the  confidence  reposed  in  him 
by  his  Superiors  and  had  measured  up  so  fully  to 
every  demand  made  upon  him,  that  his  continuance 
in  office  was  universally  regarded  as  a  bright  augury 
of  the  future  success  of  the  Mission  Church. 

When,  on  August  30,  the  sad  news  sped,  "Arch- 
bishop Williams  is  dead,"  there  was  genuine  sorrow 
at  the  Mission  Church.  The  Redemptorist  Fathers 
of  Boston  not  only  respected  and  revered  Archbishop 
Williams,  but  also  loved  him;  and  surely  they  had 
reason  to  love  him  and  be  grateful  to  him.  He  had 
invited  them  into  his  diocese;  and,  especially  in  the 
early  days,  had  bestowed  many  favors  on  them.  For 
thirty-seven  years  he  had  been  to  them  friend,  father 
and  guide.  But  they  loved  him,  not  so  much  because 
of  what  he  had  been  to  them  as  of  what  he  was  in  him- 
self—  a  noble  man,  a  typical  priest,  a  saintly  pre- 
late. As  long  as  stone  stands  upon  stone  in  the 
Mission  Church,  the  Redemptorist  Fathers  of  Boston 
will  cherish  the  name  and  memory  of  the  Most 
Reverend  John  J.  Williams,  first  Archbishop  of 
Boston. 

At  11 :00  A.  M.,  on  September  1,  Solemn  Mass  of 
Requiem  was  celebrated  at  the  Mission  Church  for 
the  repose  of  the  soul  of  the  late  Archbishop.  Father 
Hayes  was  celebrant,  Father  Gareis  deacon  and 
Father  Hoff  subdeacon.  In  a  short  but  affecting 
sermon,  Father  Hayes  reviewed  the  humble,  pious 
and  self-sacrificing  life  of  the  deceased  prelate,  as 
head  and  leader  of  the  church  in  the  Archdiocese  of 
Boston.  At  the  funeral  of  the  Archbishop,  on 
September  4,  the  Mission  Church  was  represented 
by  the  Rev.  Fathers  Hayes,  Gareis,  Wynn,  Kenzel, 
Mullaney,  Borgmann,  Donohoe,  Hoff  and  McCor- 
mick.  During  the  obsequies  the  bell  in  the  tower  of 
the  Mission  Church  was  tolled  at  intervals  of  thirty 


222       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

seconds.     At   the   same   time    a   Solemn  Mass   of 
Requiem  was  sung. 

An  event  that  brought  great  joy  to  the  Redemp- 
torists  of  Boston  and  to  their  flock  was  the  conferring 
of  the  sacred  pallium  on  the  Most  Rev.  William  H. 
O'Connell,  as  Archbishop  of  Boston,  at  the  Cathedral 
of  the  Holy  Cross,  January  29,  1908.  The  investing 
prelate  was  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons  of 
Baltimore,  whose  predecessor,  Bishop  Carroll,  had 
consecrated  the  first  Bishop  of  Boston,  the  Rt.  Rev. 
John  Lefevre  Cheverus.  The  Very  Rev.  William 
G.  Luecking,  C.  SS.  R.,  Superior  of  the  Baltimore 
Province,  and  the  Rev.  Fathers  Hayes,  Wynn,  Ken- 
zel,  Borgmann,  Corr,  Gunning,  Mulhall,  Gallagher, 
and  McCormick  of  the  Mission  Church  were  privi- 
leged to  witness  the  solemn  investiture. 

On  May  24,  the  Rev.  Edward  Molloy,  a  Redemp- 
torist  from  the  St.  Louis  Province,  celebrated  his 
First  Mass  at  the  Mission  Church.  The  Rev.  Andrew 
Wynn,  C.  SS.R.,  was  archpriest;  the  Rev.  Francis 
L.  Kenzel,  C.  SS.R.,  deacon;  the  Rev.  John  Lawler, 
C.  SS.  R.,  subdeacon;  and  the  Rev.  Henry  Borg- 
mann, C.  SS.R.,  preacher.  About  six  weeks  later, 
July  5,  the  Rev.  John  Phinn,  C.  SS.  R.,  and  the  Rev. 
John  A.  Murphy  had  the  same  inestimable  happiness 
as  Father  Molloy.  Father  Murphy,  who  offered  up 
Mass  at  7:00  A.  M.,  was  assisted  by  the  Rev.  John 
O'Leary,  C.  SS.  R.,  as  deacon;  and  the  Rev.  Father 
Lawler  as  subdeacon.  Father  Phinn,  who  sang  Mass 
at  10:30  A.  M.,  had  as  deacon,  Father  Murphy;  and 
as  subdeacon,  Father  Lawler.  The  Rev.  Father  Corr 
preached.  At  both  Masses  the  Rev.  Father  Rector 
Hayes  was  archpriest.  Father  Phinn  and  Father. 
Murphy  were  ordained  on  July  2,  at  the  Redempto- 
rist  Seminary,  Esopus,  N.  Y.,  by  the  late  Rt.  Rev. 
Thomas  F.  Cusack,  D.  D.,  Titular  Bishop  of  Themi- 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  223 

scyra  and  Auxiliary  to  the  Archbishop  of  New 
York. 

The  centenary  of  the  See  of  Boston,  which  was 
marked  by  a  series  of  appropriate  diocesan  celebra- 
tions, was  observed  with  becoming  solemnity  at  the 
Mission  Church.  During  the  commemorative  exercises, 
which  began  October  28,  the  rectory  was  handsomely 
decorated;  from  the  roof  a  number  of  American 
flags  were  suspended;  and  the  front  of  the  building 
showed  a  beautiful  display  of  the  Papal  colors,  in  the 
center  of  which  was  a  large  electric  cross,  which  when 
illuminated  was  the  cynosure  of  all  eyes.  The  people 
of  the  parish  entered  enthusiastically  into  the  spirit 
of  the  occasion,  and  nearly  every  house  within  the 
parish  limits  was  fittingly  decorated.  At  the  Solemn 
Mass  at  the  Cathedral  on  the  first  day  of  the  festivi- 
ties, seven  Fathers  from  the  Mission  Church  were 
present,  and  at  the  Pontifical  Mass  on  November  1, 
Father  Hayes  was  archpriest.  In  the  afternoon  a 
magnificent  parade  of  the  Holy  Name  Societies  was 
held,  over  40,000  men  being  in  line.  His  Eminence 
Cardinal  Gibbons,  His  Grace  Archbishop  O'Con- 
nell,  His  Honor  Mayor  Hibbard,  and  many  other 
distinguished  clergymen  and  laymen  reviewed  the 
parade  from  a  grandstand  erected  at  the  archiepisco- 
pal  residence  on  Bay  State  Road.  The  men  of  the 
Mission  Church  parish  were  highly  praised  for  the 
fine  showing  they  made.  Before  leaving  Boston  His 
Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons  paid  a  brief  visit  to  the 
Mission  Church,  and  referred  in  complimentary 
terms  to  the  labors  of  the  Fathers. 

One  of  the  parishioners  of  the  Mission  Church, 
Miss  Mary  Martha  Jackman,  of  57  Delle  Ave.,  cele- 
brated on  November  9,  1908,  the  centenary 
of  her  birth.  His  Grace  Archbishop  O'Connell, 
attended  by  Father  Hayes,  called  on  the  venerable 


224       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

old  lady  at  her  home  to  offer  his  congratulations  to 
the  only  living  link  between  the  Boston  archdiocese 
of  1908  and  the  diocese  of  the  illustrious  Bishop  Chev- 
erus,  by  whom  the  aged  woman  was  baptized  and  con- 
firmed. Miss  Jackman  died  March  29,  1910.  The 
funeral  Mass  took  place  at  the  Mission  Church,  and 
the  interment  in  old  St.  Augustine's  Cemetery,  South 
Boston,  where  sleep  the  Catholic  forefathers  of  the  city. 
In  the  spring  of  1909,  the  Mission  Church  received 
considerable  newspaper  attention  of  a  flattering 
character.  The  Boston  American  for  March  28, 
spoke  thus: 

"The  Roxbury  Mission  Church  is  famous  throughout  the 
United  States,  not  only  for  the  impressiveness  of  its  services 
and  the  beauty  of  its  architecture  and  the  eloquence  and  mis- 
sionary zeal  of  the  priests  who  comprise  its  community,  but 
for  the  marvelously  complete  solution  of  sociological  prob- 
lems that  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  been 
worked  out  successfully  beneath  the  shadow  of  its  walls. 

"Neither  Lyman  Abbot  nor  Felix  Adler  nor  Dr.  Irvine  nor 
any  others  of  the  prominent  students  of  sociology  can  afford 
to  close  their  book  of  human  observation  and  think  they  have 
read  the  last  word  on  their  science  in  America,  unless  they 
have  paid  a  visit  to  the  great  institutions  on  Mission  Hill. 
Given  im  a  single  sentence,  a  congregation  of  10,000  people 
is  cared  for  and  guided  in  all  its  interests  of  life,  temporal 
as  well  as  spiritual,  from  earliest  youth  to  old  age  and  the 
earthly  end.  Every  stage  of  existence,  every  condition  of 
life,  has  its  special  ministration,  until  there  has  grown  up 
about  the  Mission  Church  one  of  the  most  faithful  and  ap- 
preciative populations  in  all  the  world.  .  .  . 

"On  this  spot  there  now  stands  one  of  the  greatest  Catholic 
establishments  in  the  United  States.  Besides  the  splendid 
church,  there  is  the  convent  and  school  of  the  Sisters  of 
Notre  Dame,  two  spacious  clubhouses  for  boys  and  girls,  a 
commodious  community  house  for  the  Order,  a  hall  and  the- 
atre, where  entertainments  are  held  regularly  throughout 
the  winter  months ;  a  gymnasium  with  fine  bathing  accommo- 
dations for  boys  and  another  for  girls,  an  extensive  printing 
and  publishing  plant,  enclosed  recreation  grounds,  a  band- 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  225 

room  for  one  of  the  finest  bands  in  the  country  and  two 
junior  bands,  pool  rooms,  a  large  billiard  hall,  a  well-stocked 
library  whose  shelves  are  freely  used  by  hundreds  of  young 
readers  every  evening  of  the  year,  the  whole  constituting  an 
equipment  fit  for  a  university.  Not  the  least  interesting 
feature  about  this  fascinating  church  settlement  is  that 
within  its  own  confines  the  community  finds  its  own  light  and 
water  supply.  An  artesian  well,  going  down  400  feet,  yields 
fifty  gallons  of  sparkling  water  per  minute.  The  needs  of 
the  various  institutions  are  daily  supplied  from  this  well. 
The  surplus  supply  is  stored  in  a  large  reservoir  at  tha  top 
of  one  of  the  main  buildings,  ready  for  fire  use  or  other 
emergencies.  The  electric  power  for  the  grand  organ  in  the 
church,  whose  silver  chimes  at  the  vespers  service  can  never 
be  forgotten  by  those  who  once  Hear  them,  and  current  for 
the  3,000  or  more  electric  lights  used  in  the  church  and  the 
surrounding  buildings,  is  generated  in  an  independent  power 
plant.  Beside  this  powerhouse  is  an  underground  coal  pocket 
with  a  capacity  of  500  tons  of  coal.  This  coal  packet  is  con- 
nected by  tunnel  with  every  building  in  the  group.  .  .  . 
"All  these  are  but  the  merest  outlining  features  of  the 
church  and  its  auxiliary  institutions  on  Roxbury  Hill.  It 
is  a  wonderful  development,  born  of  hard  toil  and  continued 
through  supreme  sacrifice.  But  the  results  are  magnificent 
and  cannot  but  be  filled  with  rich  compensation  for  those 
who  have  dedicated  their  lives  to  the  work." 

The  Boston  Globe  in  its  issue  for  April  4,  carried 
a  lengthy  article  on  the  Mission  Church,  in  which, 
among  many  other  things,  it  said: 

"The  church  and  six  other  buildings  constituting  the 
settlement,  make  up  a  group  valuable  and  imposing,  with  the 
park-like  clearing  between. 

"The  Redemptorist  Fathers'  policy  is  to  assist  their  par- 
ishioners materially  as  well  as  spiritually,  by  practical 
means.  They  believe  in  a  system  of  physical  and  intellectual 
training  sufficiently  liberal  and  entertaining  to  appeal  to  all 
conditions  and  tastes  and  ages. 

"A  feature  of  the  Mission  Church  is  the  obvious  influence 
the  Mission  Fathers  have  over  their  parishioners  at  all  stages 
of  their  lives,  from  youngsters  to  grandparents.  They  con- 
sider it  one  great  family  and  their  aim  is  the  comfort  and 
welfare  of  alj." 


226       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


"A  GREAT  SIGN  APPEARED  IN 
HEAVEN." 

It  had  long  been  a  cherished  hope  with  Father 
Hayes  to  erect  twin  towers  on  the  church,  and  thus 
crown  "  The  Glories  of  Mary  in  Boston."  As  time 
advanced,  the  design  of  this  gigantic  work  became 
clearer  and  clearer  in  his  mind;  and  on  January  25, 
1909,  he  submitted  to  His  Grace  Archbishop  O'Con- 
nell  a  tentative  draft  of  the  plans.  His  Grace 
promptly  approved  the  project  and  the  plans,  and 
bestowed  a  cordial  blessing  on  the  work. 

In  preparation  for  the  mighty  task,  the  carpenters 
began,  May  24.  to  erect  the  staging  in  front  of  the 
church.  On  September  13,  after  the  massive  derrick 
on  top  of  the  staging  had  been  tested  for  two 
days  and  had  proved  satisfactory,  work  on  the  towers 
was  begun.  At  half  past  nine  on  the  morning  of 
September  21,  thirty-five  years  to  the  day  after  the 
first  sod  had  been  turned  for  the  present  church,, 
Father  Hayes  blessed  and  laid  the  first  stone  of  the 
eastern  tower,  with  the  words:  "For  the  glory  of  the 
Most  High  Trinity,  and  in  honor  of  Our  Lady  of 
Perpetual  Help  and  of  St.  Alphonsus,  this  corner- 
stone is  laid." 

A  month  later  Father  Hayes  was  reappointed 
Rector  for  the  third  time,  and  the  great  work  which 
he  had  undertaken  for  the  honor  of  the  Mother  of 
Perpetual  Help,  went  on  steadily  and  successfully. 
On  June  13,  1910,  the  stone  cross  surmounting  the 
eastern  tower  was  erected  and  blessed  by  Father 
Hayes.  Before  it  was  raised  aloft,  a  photograph  of 


REV.  JAMES  HAYES,  C.  SS.  R. 
1904 —  1918 


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THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  227 

it  was  taken,  with  Father  Hayes  on  one  side  and 
Father  Gareis  on  the  other.  About  500  of  the  adult 
parishioners  and  all  the  parochial  school  children 
witnessed  the  historic  event ;  the  boys  were  massed  on 
the  street;  the  girls,  in  the  school  yard.  While  the 
cross  was  being  raised,  the  children  sang,  "  O  Mother 
of  Perpetual  Help."  When  finally  it  had  been 
secured  in  its  socket,  a  mighty  cheer  rent  the  air ;  and 
the  hymn,  "  Holy  God  We  Praise  Thy  Name,"  was 
wafted  heavenward. 

On  June  17,  Bunker  Hill  Day,  the  cross  on  the 
western  tower  was  adjusted.  Notwithstanding  a 
rather  heavy  rain,  an  immense  crowd  gathered  to 
witness  the  impressive  ceremony.  Before  the  cross 
was  elevated,  many  of  the  spectators  reverently 
kissed  it  in  a  spirit  of  simple  faith.  In  the  ropes  round 
the  cross,  a  small  American  flag  was  fastened.  As 
soon  as  the  word  was  given  to  begin  hoisting  the  cross, 
the  children  sang  a  hymn  to  the  Mother  of  Perpetual 
Help.  Father  Hayes,  vested  in  surplice  and  stole, 
ascended  to  the  apex  of  the  tower  and  blessed  the 
cross  before  it  was  set.  The  exercises  were  brought 
to  a  close  with  the  singing  of  "  Holy  God  We  Praise 
Thy  Name  "  by  the  children. 

The  eastern  cross  is  213  feet  above  the  ground; 
the  western,  215;  the  difference  is  due  to  the  slope  of 
the  grade ;  each  cross  is  nine  feet  high,  and  each  tower 
weighs  exactly  3,502  tons.  The  names  of  those  who 
contributed  to  the  towers  were  placed  in  a  box  at  the 
base  of  the  cross  on  the  western  tower. 

Blessing  of  the  Bells. 

The  first  bell  of  the  chimes,  which  were  to  be  in- 
stalled in  the  western  tower,  was  received  on  June  27 ; 
the  others  came  a  few  days  later.  The  blessing  of  the 


228       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

bells  took  place  the  following  Sunday,  July  3,  on  the 
lawn,  in  front  of  the  rectory.  The  Boston  Pilot  gave 
the  following  account  of  the  ceremony: 

"The  second  last  stage  in  the  completion  of  the  great 
Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  in  Roxbury,  was 
reached  Sunday  afternoon,  July  3rd,  when  the  chime  of 
bells  to  be  set  in  the  newly  finished  towers  were  blessed.  The 
ceremony  was  performed  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Joseph  Anderson, 
D.D.,  V.G.,  Auxiliary  Bishop,  assisted  by  the  Redemptorist 
Fathers  attached  to  the  church.  The  ceremony  is  a  rare 
one,  and  that,  coupled  with  the  fact  that  it  marked  the  com- 
pletion of  the  Great  Church,  drew  to  the  scene  thousands  of 
people.  The  exercises  took  place  on  the  lawn  directly  in 
front  of  the  rectory.  There  the  twelve  bells  were  suspended 
from  a  temporary  construction,  while  a  little  to  the  right  of 
them,  an  improvised  throne  was  erected  for  the  Auxiliary 
Bishop  and  his  assistants.  Directly  in  front  of  the  bells  were 
seated  a  number  of  the  donors  and  their  friends.  The  music 
was  performed  by  the  Mission  Church  Band  of  forty  pieces. 

"Bishop  Anderson  was  assisted  by  the  Rev.  Peter  Corr, 
C.SS.R.,  and  the  Rev.  Francis  Kenzel,  C.SS.R.  The  other 
priests  who  participated  in  the  exercises  were:  Rev.  James 
Hayes,  Rector  of  the  church;  Rev.  Charles  Hoff,  C.SS.R.; 
Rev.  S.  J.  Grogan,  C.SS.R. ;  Rev.  Andrew  Wynn,  C.SS.R. ; 
Rev.  Andrew  Gunning,  C.SS.R.;  Rev.  William  Knell, 
C.SS.R.;  Rev.  Henry  Gareis,  C.SS.R.;  Rev.  Stephen  Con- 
nolly, C.SS.R. ;  Rev.  John  O'Leary,  C.SS.R.,  and  Rev.  Henry 
Borgmann,  C.SS.R. 

"The  ceremony  began  with  the  recitation  of  the  Psalms 
of  the  Ritual  alternately  by  the  Redemptorist  Fathers  and 
the  students  of  St.  Mary's  College,  North  East,  Pa.  The 
Bishop  then,  accompanied  by  his  attendants  and  other 
priests,  proceeded  to  the  bells,  which  he  formally  blessed, 
sprinkling  them  with  holy  chrism  both  inside  and  outside, 
four  times  on  the  outside  and  eight  times  on  the  inside.  Then 
beneath  each  bell  there  was  placed  a  vessel  of  burning  herbs, 
and  the  Bishop  swung  the  censer  containing  burning  incense 
over  and  beneath  each  bell.  The  bells  were  first  carefully 
washed  both  inside  and  outside  by  tfie  assistant  priests.  An 
affecting  part  of  the  ceremony  was  the  blessing  of  the  people 
by  the  Bishop.  He  had  scarcely  turned  away  from  the  great 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  229 

bells  when  he  saw  the  immense  throng  of  more  than  8,000 
persons  on  the  lawn,  on  the  sidewalk  and  even  in  the  street 
kneeling  down  in  expectation  of  his  benediction.  As  he 
raised  his  hands  the  great  multitude  bowed  their  heads  and 
raised  their  own  right  hands  to  make  the  Sign  of  the  Cross. 
"After  the  final  prayers  the  bells  were  rung  and  were 
pronounced  perfect.  The  Mission  Church  Band  then  ren- 
dered an  appropriate  selection,  after  which  the  whole  great 
multitude  joined  in  a  resonant  Te  Deum.  The  sermon  of  the 
occasion  was  preached  by  Rev.  Henry  Borgmann,  C.  SS.  R." 

Father  Borgmann's  sermon  is  here  reproduced  in 
full: 

"Friends :  We  celebrate  to-day  the  grandest,  the  happiest, 
the  most  glorious  day  in  the  annals  of  the  Mission  Church 
parish. 

"The  grandest  day,  for  we  now  have  completed  this  grand 
and  magnificent  temple,  by  the  addition  of  the  twin  spires 
and  the  chime  of  twelve  bells,  which  like  a  crown  of  twelve 
stars  is  now  to  crown  the  Church  of  Our  Lady.  The  happiest 
day,  for  there  are  many  aged  folk  here  to-day  who  for  years 
have  prayed  God  to  let  them  see  this  day.  The  most  glorious 
day,  for  now,  like  the  Angels  of  Bethlehem,  these  twelve  bells 
are  to  proclaim  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth 
peace  to  men  of  good  will. 

"In  a  few  moments  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Anderson  will  proceed 
to  the  blessing  of  the  bells.  You  must  understand  that  what 
is  to  be  used  in  divine  service  must  first  be  purified  of  the 
blight  of  this  sinful  earth,  and  then  sanctified  to  God  with 
psalmody,  unction  and  prayer.  The  altar  upon  which  the 
Immaculate  Lamb  of  God  is  daily  offered  is  first  washed  with 
hallowed  water  and  then  anointed  and  so  consecrated,  even 
as  the  newborn  babe  is  washed  clean  of  sin  in  the  water  of 
Baptism  and  then  anointed  with  the  chrism  of  Confirmation 
and  so  made  the  living  temple  of  the  Lord  Most  High. 

"After  washing  these  bells  with  hallowed  water  and  anoint- 
ing them  with  Holy  Oil  and  Chrism,  the  Bishop  will  place 
beneath  the  mouth  of  each  bell  a  vase  containing  burning 
coals,  and  the  fumes  of  incense  and  sweet-smelling  herbs  will 
pierce  the  throats  of  the  bells,  for  their  tongues  and  their  lips 
are  henceforth  to  proclaim,  like  the  burning  bush,  with  the 
voice  of  God  tender  and  all  compassionate,  the  loving  invita- 


230       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

tion  unto  all,  to  gather  about  His  altar,  to  call  upon  Him, 
to  give  Him  praise  and  glory  and  honor  forevermore. 

"Now  is  the  Gospel  read,  for  like  the  Twelve  Apostles,  these 
bells  are  to  preach  the  love  and  sweet  joy  of  God's  service, 
the  gospel  of  Martha  and  Mary,  that  all  the  people  may 
tender  unto  God  the  love  of  Mary  and  the  service  of  Martha. 
My  people,  these  bells  are  come  like  friends  among  friends, 
with  warm  heart  to  be  welcomed  by  warm  hearts.  They  are 
come  to  weave  sweet  recollections  into  your  everyday  life,  so 
that  should  some  of  you  depart  for  other  regions,  you  will 
take  with  you  fond  memories  of  the  Mission  Church  bells. 

"These  bells  are  come  to  share  with  you  your  joys  and 
your  sorrows.  They  will  laugh  with  you  and  they  will  weep 
with  you.  They  will  twinkle  with  jocund  merriment  when 
your  sons  and  your  daughters  afoot  the  altar  of  God  plight 
their  troth,  and  join  bonds  which,  we  Catholics  glory  to  say, 
no  man  dare  among  us  put  asunder.  And  again,  these  bells 
will  toll  with  a  sorrowful  dole,  when  your  dead  sons  and  daugh- 
ters are  borne  to  the  foot  of  the  altar  to  receive  the  final  bene- 
diction of  weeping  Mother  Church.  They  will  groan  and 
moan  with  sympathy  for  you  when  forth  from  these  portals 
you  are  borne  to  be  laid  away  to  sleep  on  the  hills  of  Calvary. 
Every  night  will  they  renew  their  plaint  in  the  De  Profivndis 
Bell  and  carry  the  consoling  knell  to  the  shadow  of  the 
pines  and  the  cedars  that  stand  in  silence  round  about  the 
graves  of  those  whom  you  love.  These  bells  will  stir  with 
great  joy  on  our  festive  days.  They  will  swing  with  merry 
Christmas  carols  when  your  little  children,  in  the  still  hour 
of  midnight  awakened,  broken  in  half  their  dreams  of  angels 
and  shepherds  singing  about  a  little  stable  under  the  hill, 
and  oh !  they  will  hasten  with  speed  to  their  fathers'  and  their 
mothers'  knee,  and  gaze  with  great  wonderment  at  the  Christ- 
mas tree,  and  all  the  while  will  these  bells  still  make  sweet 
melody  in  the  starry  night  to  all  the  homes  in  Roxbury. 

"Loud  Alleluias  will  these  bells  shout  on  Easterday,  and 
reawaken  profound  anticipations  of  your  glorious  resurrec- 
tion, of  eternal  joys  in  Paradise,  where  God's  everlasting 
bells  are  swinging  to  and  fro  in  golden  towers,  rolling  forth 
ocean-like  magnificent  harmonies  of  eternal  beatitudes  unto 
vast  multitudes  of  the  blessed,  among  them  you  and  I,  in- 
toxicant with  all-absorbing  felicity  forevermore.  With 
Pentecostal  fire  will  these  bells  proclaim  at  Whitsuntide  the 
ancient  faith  of  apostolic  times,  the  indestructible  kingdom  of 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  231 

God  still  maintaining  its  primitive  foundations  on  the  im- 
movable Rock  of  Ages. 

"Then  when  the  harvest  is  gathered,  when  the  Dedication 
of  the  Church  is  celebrated  in  the  season  of  Thanksgiving, 
these  bells  will  call  with  grateful  voice,  and  awaken  senti- 
ments of  deep,  lasting  gratitude,  noblest  and  last  of  all 
returns  to  God  from  the  heart  of  man. 

"Not  only  on  religious  holydays,  but  also  on  civic  holidays 
will  these  bells  make  common  cause  with  you.  You  have 
witnessed  how  on  Bunker  Hill  Day  last,  the  Cross  of  this 
western  spire  was  elevated  to  the  pinnacle  of  the  tower, 
clasping  in  fond  embrace  the  flag  of  our  country,  in  testimony 
of  the  bond  existing  between  our  faith  and  our  fatherland, 
our  creed  and  our  country,  our  altars,  and  our  firesides. 
By  a  fortunate  coincidence  these  bells  are  blessed  on  this,  the 
eve  of  the  glorious  Fourth,  the  day  on  which  all  the  nation 
records  with  grateful  heart  and  glad  rejoicings,  the  founda- 
tion of  our  American  freedom,  civil  and  religious,  one  and 
inseparable,  now  and  forever.  Furthermore,  on  the  very 
spot  where  we  now  stand,  there  stood  till  within  a  few  years 
ago  the  Dearborn  mansion,  where  George  Washington 
stopped  and  held  council,  before  that  final  manoeuvre,  which 
drove  from  these  shores  that  hostile  bigotry  and  unreasoning 
intolerance,  which  all  too  long  had  tyrannized  over  our 
ancestors,  driven  finally  away,  far,  far  away  never  again  to 
molest  us — driven  into  the  deep  sea,  the  bottomless  ocean 
where  the  waves  may  chant  its  dirges  incessant. 

"Well  may  these  bells  clap  their  hands  and  sing  on  these 
national  holidays,  which  than  monuments  of  stone  more 
durable,  ever  proclaim  with  ancestral  gratitude  to  God  our 
deep  appreciation  of  that  boundless  boon  we  possess  in 
enjoying  a  free  Church  in  a  free  State. 

"So  will  these  bells  pray  with  you  and  rejoice  with  you. 
They  will  call  you  to  God's  altars,  they  will  follow  you  to 
your  firesides.  Thrice  daily,  morning,  noon  and  night  will 
these  bells  remind  you,  like  the  Angelus  of  God,  of  Christ 
the  Child  and  His  ever  Blessed  Mother.  Every  Sunday, 
when  the  Sacred  Host  is  elevated  at  the  parochial  Mass,  the 
Sacring  Bell  will  peal  a  triple  peal,  that  all  the  people  of 
Roxbury  may  bend  the  knee,  and  the  child  beside  its  mother 
may  catch  the  inspiration  of  love  that  flows  from  her  lips  in 
muttered  psalms  of  a  thousand  welcomes  to  the  Eucharistic 
Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ. 


232       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

"Friends :  You  will  come  to  learn  and  love  these  bells,  for 
they  will  bye  and  bye  creep  close  to  your  heart  and  croon 
sentiments  of  various  longings,  joys  ever  old  and  ever  new, 
until  they  will  become  to  you  the  voicings  of  your  inner  soul. 
Then  when  you  leave  for  other  scenes  will  your  hearts  turn 
home  and  your  souls  long  for  the  peal  of  those  fond-with- 
recollections,  soul-stirring  Mission  Church  bells. 

"Now  I  conclude.  Before  I  conclude,  however,  allow  me 
to  ask  you  one  question:  Who  has  built  this  magnificent 
temple?  Who  built  the  altars  within,  superb  and  majestic? 
Who  covered  the  walls  with  noble  works  of  art?  Who  has 
made  these  spires  to  raise  aloft,  high  in  the  air,  the  glorified 
Cross  of  Christ?  Who  has  crowned  it  all  with  the  chime  of 
twelve  bells  ? 

"Of  old  this  was  done  by  kings  and  princes  and  the  no- 
bility. But  I  declare  that  this  most  glorious  temple  of  God, 
fit  habitation  for  His  angels,  has  been  built  by  the  hands  and 
hearts  of  our  hard-working  people,  built  by  the  poor  man's 
penny  and  the  widow's  mite;  nor  have  many  failed  to  give 
abundantly  whom  God  has  richly  favored.  May  God  bless 
you  all  for  it.  Many  who  during  the  last  forty  years  stood 
loyally  by  the  great  and  stupendous  undertaking,  have  gone 
to  their  reward  and  are  now  habitants  of  those  magnificent 
mansions  which  God  has  prepared  for  them.  May  you  all 
some  day  enter  into  and  participate  in  their  joys,  dwell  in 
mansions  as  magnificent,  enjoy  the  self-same  supreme  beati- 
tude, singing  and  praising  and  glorifying  the  eternal  Love, 
drinking  deep  of  that  Beatific  Vision  that  enraptures  the 
angelic  hosts  innumerable,  for  ages  and  ages  without  end. 
May  the  Omnipotent  Lord  God  bless  you  all  in  the  name  of 
the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Amen." 

During  the  consecration  of  the  bells  the  following 
prayer  was  said  by  the  Bishop  : 

"Almighty,  Eternal  God,  do  Thou  pour  out  upon  these 
bells  a  heavenly  benediction,  so  that  at  their  sound,  the 
fiery  darts  of  the  enemy,  lightning  strokes,  hailstorms,  deadly 
thunder,  and  the  damage  of  the  tempests  may  be  driven  far 
away.  May  Thy  people  receive  an  increase  of  Faith,  and 
may  they  be  free  from  all  temptations  of  the  enemy  when 
the  melody  of  these  bells  shall  fall  upon  their  ears.  Pour  out 
upon  these  bells  the  dew  of  Thy  Holy  Spirit,  so  that  at  their 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  233 

sound  the  enemy  of  the  good  may  always  flee.  May  Thy 
people  summoned  together  by  these  bells  be  comforted  in  the 
Lord  and  delighted.  When  the  sound  of  these  bells  pierces 
the  clouded  skies,  may  angelic  hands  preserve  the  assembly  of 
Thy  Church;  may  everlasting  protection  save  the  fruits  of 
those  who  believe,  their  souls  and  their  bodies.  Through  Our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Thy  Son,  who  liveth  and  reigneth  with 
Thee  in  the  unity  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  world  without  end. 
Amen." 

Names,  Weight,  and  Donors  of  the  Bells. 

1.  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help ;  4,200  Ibs.  This  bell  bears 

the  following  inscription :  "Church  of  Our  Lady  of 
Perpetual  Help,  Redemptorist  Fathers,  Boston, 
Mass.,  A.D.  1910;  Mother  of  Perpetual  Help 
watch  over  us,  assist  and  protect  us." 

2.  St.  Joseph;  3,000  Ibs.,  donated  by  fourteen  friends  of 

the  Mission  Church. 

3.  St.  Patrick;  2,100  Ibs.,  donated  by  twelve  friends  of  the 

Mission  Church. 

4.  St.  Alphonsus ;  1,800  Ibs.,  donated  by  the  pupils  of  the 

parochial  school  in  1909. 

5.  St.   Clement  Hofbauer;    1,600   Ibs.,   donated  by   the 

Alumni  of  the  parochial  school,  1891  to  1908. 

6.  St.  John ;  1,280  Ibs.,  donated  by  J.  J.  Kennedy. 

7.  St.  Francis  Xavier;  930  Ibs.,  donated  by  Mr.  and  Mrs. 

C.  J.  Jacobs. 

8.  St.  Gerard  Majella ;  820  Ibs.,  donated  by  John  Burns. 

9.  St.  Michael;  710  Ibs.,  donated  by  Mrs.  Delia  Donlon. 

10.  St.  Gabriel;  600  Ibs.,  donated  by  Mrs.  Mary  O'Hare. 

11.  St.  Florian;  450  Ibs.,  in  memory  of  Catherine  Muldoon. 

12.  St.  Cecilia ;  360  Ibs.,  donated  by  Michael  C.  Nelson. 

On  July  13th,  the  largest  and  last  of  the  bells  was 
placed  in  the  western  tower. 

With  the  installation  of  the  chimes,  the  beautiful 
Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  was  com- 
pleted. Father  Petsch  began  the  work  in  1876; 
Father  Hayes  finished  it  in  1910.  This  simple  thought 
inspired  a  graceful  poem,  which  will  be  found  at  the 
end  of  this  book. 


234       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

On  May  19,  1910,  a  Solemn  Celebration  was  in- 
augurated, in  order  to  mark  the  canonization  of  the 
saintly  Redemptorist  priest,  Blessed  Clement  Hof- 
bauer,*  who  was  raised  to  the  honors  of  the  altar  on 
May  20,  1909,  by  Our  Holy  Father  Pius  X  at  Saint 
Peter's,  in  Rome. 

After  the  8  o'clock  Mass  on  May  19,  20  and  21, 
special  prayers  were  recited  in  honor  of  the  Saint;  a 
large  painting  of  whom  had  been  hung  in  the  sanc- 
tuary. This  identical  painting  had  been  venerated  in 
Rome  at  the  beatification  of  the  Saint  in  1888  ;  before 
it  the  late  Pope  Leo  XIII  had  knelt  in  prayer 
with  70,000  people.  The  formal  opening  of  the 
Grand  Triduum  took  place  Sunday,  May  22,  at  10:00 
A.  M.  Pontifical  Mass  was  celebrated  by  His  Grace 
Archbishop  O'Connell,  assisted  by  the  Rev.  C.  Regan, 
pastor  of  All  Saints'  Church,  Roxbury,  as  deacon;  and 
the  Rev.  Joseph  Wissel,  C.SS.R.,  of  Philadelphia, 
as  subdeacon.  The  deacons  of  honor  were  the  Rev. 
M.  J.  McManus,  pastor  of  St.  Mary's,  Brookline ;  and 
the  Rev.  Arthur  Connolly,  pastor  of  the  Church  of 
the  Blessed  Sacrament,  Jamaica  Plain.  The  Very 
Rev.  Ferdinand  Litz,  C.  SS.  R.,  Provincial,  was  arch- 
priest.  Seated  in  the  sanctuary  were  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Monsignori  Teeling,  O'Callaghan,  O'Brien,  and 
Splaine.  The  sermon  was  delivered  by  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Hanley,  C.SS.R.,  Prefect  of  Students  at 
the  Redemptorist  Seminary,  Esopus,  N.  Y. 

The  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  and  his  assistants,  after 
vesting  in  the  community  room,  marched  in  stately 
procession  from  the  middle  door  of  the  rectory  to  the 

*  Clement  Hofbauer  was  born  Dec.  26,  1751,  at  Tassowitz,  a  town 
in  Moravia,  on  the  northern  border  of  the  Austrian  Empire.  He 
made  his  religious  profession  as  a  Redemptorist  on  March  19,  1785, 
and  ten  days  later  was  ordained  priest.  After  laboring  zealously 
for  thirty-five  years,  mostly  in  Vienna  and  Warsaw,  he  died  in  the 
order  of  sanctity  on  March  15,  1820. 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  285 

church,  through  the  open  ranks  of  the  married  men 
of  the  Holy  Family  Association.  The  church  was 
crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity,  and  a  large  number 
of  the  faithful,  unable  to  gain  admission,  remained  on 
the  sidewalk  during  the  Mass.  After  the  Mass,  when 
His  Grace  had  reached  the  door  of  the  rectory,  he 
turned  round  and  in  a  very  impressive  manner  gave 
his  blessing  to  the  assembled  thousands.  The  cele- 
brant of  the  Solemn  Vespers  was  the  Very  Rev.  Fer- 
dinand Lite,  C.  SS.R. 

The  following  day  Solemn  Mass  was  sung  at  8 :00 
A.  M.  by  the  Rev.  Father  Rector  Hayes,  with  Fathers 
Grogan  and  Borgmann  as  deacon  and  subdeacon, 
respectively.  The  Rev.  Caspar  Ritter,  C. SS.R., 
Rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception, 
N.  Y.,  was  celebrant  of  the  Solemn  Vespers. 

On  Tuesday,  the  24th,  the  last  day  of  the  Triduum, 
the  Very  Rev.  Ferdinand  Litz.,  C.  SS.R.,  officiated 
as  celebrant  of  the  Mass.  At  the  evening  exercises 
the  celebrant  was  the  Rt.  Rev.  Joseph  G.  Anderson, 
Titular  Bishop  of  Myrina  and  Auxiliary  to  the  Most 
Rev.  Archbishop  of  Boston ;  the  deacon,  the  Rev. 
J.  T.  O'Reilly,  O.  S.  A.,  of  Lawrence  ;  the  subdeacon, 
a  Rev.  Jesuit  Father  ;  the  archpriest,  the  Very  Rev. 
Ferdinand  Litz.  During  the  procession,  in  which 
the  school  children  took  part,  the  statue  of  St.  Clement 
was  carried  by  the  Rev.  Redemptorist  Fathers 
Wissel,  O'Leary,  Knell,  and  A.  Jones.  Besides  Re- 
demptorist Fathers,  Augustinians,  Jesuits,  Marists, 
and  Passionists  were  present.  After  the  procession 
the  Papal  Blessing  was  imparted  by  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Bishop  Anderson. 

Another  event  of  prime  note  in  the  recent  his- 
tory of  the  church  was  the  visit  of  the  Superior 
General  of  the  Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy  Re- 
deemer, the  Most  Rev.  Patrick  Murray,  who  arrived 


236       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

in  Boston  July  15,  1910.  He  was  accompanied  by 
two  members  of  his  council,  the  Very  Rev.  Fidelis 
Speidel,  C.  SS.R.,  and  the  Very  Rev.  John  B. 
Favre,  C.  SS.R.  Father  Hayes  and  Father  Wynn 
met  the  distinguished  visitors  at  the  station  and 
escorted  them  to  the  rectory,  which  was  appropriately 
decorated  with  flags  and  bunting,  the  Irish  flag  occu- 
pying a  prominent  place.  The  following  Sunday,  the 
Most  Rev.  Father  Murray  celebrated  Solemn  Mass, 
assisted  by  the  Very  Rev.  Francis  Auth,  C.  SS.R., 
president  of  the  Redemptorist  College  at  North  East, 
Pa.,  as  deacon;  and  the  Rev.  Andrew  Wynn, 
C.  SS.R.,  as  subdeacon.  Father  Hayes  was  master 
of  ceremonies.  At  all  the  Masses  the  Most.  Rev. 
Superior  General  addressed  the  congregation,  em- 
phasizing the  fact  that  he  had  never  before  visited  so 
large  a  parish.  At  the  close  of  his  remarks  he  be- 
stowed the  Papal  Blessing  on  the  people.  The  Most 
Rev.  Father  Murray,  whose  visit  will  always  be  re- 
membered with  pleasure,  left  Boston  July  18,  for 
St.  John,  N.  B.,  Canada. 

During  the  visit  of  the  Superior  General,  on  Satur- 
day evening,  July  16,  at  7:00  P.  M.,  while  we  were 
celebrating  the  second  vespers  of  the  Feast  of  Our 
Lady  of  Mount  Carmel  and  the  first  vespers  of  the 
Feast  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer,  the  largest  bell  of 
the  chimes  sounded  the  Angelus.  This  was  the  first  time 
that  any  one  of  the  bells  was  ever  rung.  For  two  hours 
thereafter  a  beautiful  concert  was  given,  to  which  a 
large  crowd  listened  with  delight.  Within  the  next 
two  days,  three  other  chime  concerts  followed:  the 
first,  on  Sunday  morning ;  the  second,  on  Sunday 
evening  ;  and  the  third,  on  Monday  evening.  Every 
day,  at  intervals  of  fifteen  minutes,  from  7:15 
A.  M.  to  9:00  P.  M.,  the  chimes  mark  the  flight 
of  time  with  music  that  falls  like  a  benediction  on  the 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  287 

passing  hours.  Every  Sunday  morning  from  9:30 
to  10:00,  and  every  Sunday  evening  from  7:00  to 
7 : 30,  all  hearts  are  lifted  up  in  prayer  by  the  sweet 
hymns  that  the  bells  ring  out  in  honor  of  Our  Lord 
and  His  Blessed  Mother;  while  on  holidays,  from 
8:30  to  9:00  A.  M.,  sentiments  of  lofty  patriotism 
are  evoked  by  the  playing  of  the  national  airs. 

On  July  24  the  Rev.  Henry  Murphy,  C.  SS.R., 
celebrated  his  First  Mass.  The  Rev.  Father  Hayes 
was  archpriest  and  preacher  ;  the  Rev.  William  V. 
Knell,  C.  SS.  R.,  deacon  ;  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  John  W. 
F.  Power,  a  seminarian,  subdeacon.  One  week  later, 
July  31,  the  Rev.  Joseph  Murphy,  C.  SS.  R.,  enjoyed 
the  same  transcendent  blessing  as  his  namesake.  At 
Father  Joseph's  Mass  the  Rev.  William  G.  Luecking, 
C.  SS.R.,  was  archpriest  and  preacher;  the  Rev. 
Father  Hayes,  deacon  ;  and  the  Rev.  Father  Lynch, 
subdeacon.  Father  Henry  and  Father  Joseph 
Murphy  were  ordained  July  20,  at  Esopus,  1ST.  Y.,  by 
Bishop  Cusack. 

On  October  9  the  Mission  Church  was  honored  by 
the  visit  of  a  group  of  high  ecclesiastical  dignitaries  : 
His  Eminence  Cardinal  Vincenzo  Vanutelli,  the 
Papal  Legate  to  the  Eucharistic  Congress  in  Mon- 
treal, His  Grace  Archbishop  O'Connell,  and  the  Rt. 
Rev.  Mgr.  Santi-Tampieri,  Assistant  Secretary  to 
His  Eminence  Cardinal  Del  Val,  Papal  Secretary  of 
State.  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Vanutelli  and  his 
entourage,  chaperoned  by  Father  Hayes,  were  con- 
ducted first  to  the  church,  which  was  specially  illumi- 
nated for  the  occasion  ;  then,  to  the  rear  porch  of  the 
rectory,  whence  they  could  get  a  good  view  of  the 
various  parish  buildings.  His  Eminence  expressed 
admiration  and  wonder  at  the  striking  evidences 
of  the  work  that  the  Fathers  were  doing.  As  the 
illustrious  prelates  were  motoring  down  Tremont 


238       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Street,  they  were  met  by  a  delegation  of  men  of  the 
parish  —  one  thousand  strong — headed  by  the  Mis- 
sion Church  Field  Band.  The  men  had  been  sum- 
moned from  the  baseball  grounds,  where  they  were 
drilling  for  the  Columbus  Day  parade.  Each  man 
carried  a  rod  tipped  with  a  large  rose  —  red,  pink,  or 
yellow.  The  distinguished  visitors  were  much  pleased 
with  the  impressive  spectacle  presented  by  so  fine  a 
body  of  men,  and  with  the  surprise  to  which  they  had 
been  treated  at  their  departure. 

The  Sacred  Heart  Messenger  gave  the  following 
account  of  the  event : 

"The  Cardinal's  Sunday  was  drawing  to  a  close,  but  no 
visit  to  Boston  would  be  complete  if  it  did  not  include  a  trip 
to  the  Mission  Church,  Roxbury.  Therefore,  it  was  not  sur- 
prising that  the  Archbishop  brought  his  distinguished  guest 
to  the  famous  Shrine.  The  prelates  were  received  by  the 
Rev.  James  Hayes,  C.  SS.  R.,  rector  of  the  church,  and  other 
members  of  the  community. 

"Passing  through  the  rectory  into  the  church,  the  Cardinal 
was  escorted  up  the  aisle  to  the  main  altar,  and  here  His 
Eminence  knelt  in  prayer  for  some  moments ;  then,  standing 
near  the  sanctuary  rail,  he  looked  earnestly  at  the  Shrine  and 
down  the  length  of  the  church.  The  chimes  rang  out  a 
welcome  in  which  the  notes  of  the  great  organ  blended;  but 
the  time  was  all  too  short,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  Cardinal 
and  the  Archbishop  were  obliged  to  leave,  being  given  an 
ovation  on  the  way  by  the  men  of  the  parish  who  were  re- 
turning from  a  drill  for  the  Columbus  Day  parade.  It  is  a 
pleasant  memory  to  cherish  of  a  notable  occasion  —  the  Car- 
dinal Legate  and  the  Archbishop  of  Boston,  surrounded  by 
faithful  sons  of  the  church  offering  their  tribute  of  respect 
and  bearing  witness  by  their  presence  and  numbers  of  the 
influence  of  religion  on  their  lives." 

On  the  night  of  October  11,  the  eight  electric  crosses, 
four  in  each  tower,  were  lighted  for  the  first  time. 
They  are  of  ground  glass,  10  by  4.5  feet ;  each  cross 
is  illuminated  by  14  sixty-watt  incandescent  lamps, 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  289 

and  is  plainly  visible  within  a  radius  of  from  4  to  5 
miles.  As  the  following  day  (Columbus  Day)  was  to 
be  a  legal  holiday  for  the  first  time  in  Massachusetts, 
a  large  American  flag  was  suspended  between  the 
towers  in  such  a  position  as  to  receive  the  full  efful- 
gence of  the  crosses.  The  effect  was  dazzling,  and 
served  to  draw  the  attention  of  the  newspaper  men 
to  the  beauty  of  the  towers  and  of  the  electric 
crosses.  The  Boston  Record  for  October  17  said: 

"The  most  conspicuous  addition  to  the  landscape  of  Bos- 
ton by  night  and  by  day  are  the  twin  spires  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Mission  Church,  near  the  Fenway.  They  are  tall 
and  exceedingly  beautiful,  and  rank  with  the  dome  of  the 
Christian  Science  Temple,  the  Harvard  Stadium  and  the 
State  House  dome  as  landmarks  of  the  Hub.  At  night  the 
belfries  of  the  spires  are  illuminated  from  within  by  power- 
ful lights  revealing  crosses  against  the  dark  sky  above." 

And  the  Boston  Post  of  the  same  date: 

"A  treat  is  in  store  for  those  who  have  not  seen  the  Mission 
Church  of  Roxbury  by  night  since  the  towers  have  been  com- 
pleted. Four  large  crosses,  each  over  nine  feet  in  height, 
have  been  placed  in  each  tower  and  are  all  ablaze  with  light. 
The  illumination  is  artistically  arranged  inside,  and  the 
crosses  are  so  high  in  the  air  that  on  an  especially  dark 
night  they  gleam  forth  as  though  suspended  between  earth 
and  sky." 

The  electric  crosses  proved  a  source  of  inspiration 
to  the  muse  of  Mr.  Timothy  C.  Murphy,  "The 
Policeman  Poet,"  whose  verses  entitled  "  Cross 
of  Light "  will  find  a  place  at  the  end  of  this  book. 

A  monster  parade  of  the  Holy  Name  Societies  of 
Boston  was  held  on  Columbus  Day,  1910.  At  1 :00  P.M. 
the  contingent  from  the  Mission  Church  started  from 
the  Back  Bay  to  take  its  allotted  place  in  the  ranks, 
but,  though  the  parade  began  to  move  at  noon  sharp 
and  proceeded  without  break  or  halt,  it  was  nearly 


240       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

3  o'clock  before  our  men  were  able  to  fall  in  line. 
There  were  upwards  of  40,000  men  in  the  parade, 
which  took  about  three  hours  and  a  half  to  pass  a 
given  point.  It  was  reviewed  by  President  Taft,  His 
Grace  Archbishop  O'Connell,  Governor  Draper,  and 
Mayor  Fitzgerald  from  different  stands  erected  along 
the  line  of  march.  The  Mission  Church  fully  sustained 
its  reputation,  or  rather,  as  Mayor  Fitzgerald  put  it, 
"  It  fairly  outdid  itself  by  the  magnificent  showing  it 
made  on  this  occasion."  Here  are  some  of  the  press 
comments : 

"Without  question  the  Holy  Name  Society  from  the  Mis- 
sion Church  was  the  feature  of  the  great  ninth  division.  It 
was  the  largest  in  point  of  numbers,  its  men  marched  as  truly 
as  any  in  line,  it  was  made  up  of  companies  in  which  the  men 
were  practically  of  a  size,  and  each  man  carried  a  long  green 
wand,  tipped  with  red.  yellow,  white  or  blue  roses  or  chrysan- 
themums. These  floral  wands  carried  at  a  uniform  angle 
gave  the  prettiest  touch  of  color  seen  in  the  entire  division. 

"They  led  the  ninth  subdivision  of  the  sixth  division  and 
were  preceded  by  the  Mission  Church  Field  Band.  The  men 
marched  in  files  14  deep  and  there  were  50  of  these  files 
before  the  eye  caught  the  handsome  float  representing  the 
'Departure  of  Columbus.'  Then  came  the  Mission  Church 
Fife  and  Drum  Corps  with  its  stirring  music,  and  24  more 
files  of  members  of  the  Holy  Name  Society. 

"  'The  Roxbury  Boys  of  1492,'  dressed  as  American  In- 
dians in  four  companies,  each  marching  in  cross  formation, 
came  next,  followed  by  a  four-horse  float  representing  the 
Santa  Maria  manned  by  a  crew  of  beautiful  girls  in  white 
gowns.  This  feature  was  followed  by  the  regular  fife  and 
drum  corps  of  the  Mission  Church  and  16  more  files  of  finely 
marching  members  of  the  Holy  Name  Society  of  the  parish. 
They  carried  off  the  honors  both  as  to  numbers  and  display." 
— Boston  Globe. 

"The  division  of  the  Holy  Name  Society  which  stood  out 
above  all  the  others  was  the  Mission  Church  of  Roxbury, 
which  was  represented  by  from  1,800  to  2,200  men.  The 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  241 

men  were  dressed  very  carefully  and  were  perfectly  drilled. 
.    .    . " — Boston  Post . 

"From  the  Mission  Church  were  entered  1,700  marchers, 
whose  military  carriage  and  alignment  were  considered  the 
best  of  any  of  the  civilians.  The  Mission  Church  had  a  float 
portraying  the  departure  of  Columbus,  a  barge  of  children 
in  the  Santa  Maria  and  four  companies  of  boys  in  Indian 
costumes." — Boston  Herald. 

A  Grand  Bazaar,  the  proceeds  of  which  were  to 
help  defray  the  cost  of  the  towers,  was  conducted  in 
the  school  hall,  November  10-30.  Fathers  Kenzel  and 
O'Leary,  who  were  in  charge,  succeeded,  after  three 
months  of  strenuous  labor,  in  converting  the  hall  into 
a  little  "World's  Fair."  Booths  representing  the 
principal  nations  were  advantageously  placed,  and 
the  pillars  of  the  hall  were  made  to  assume  the  aspect 
of  luxuriant  palm-trees.  Every  night  during  the 
bazaar  a  fair-sized  newspaper,  called  The  Evening 
Star,  was  published  ;  it  was  printed  in  view  of  the 
people  and  retailed  the  news  of  the  evening.  Another 
novel  feature,  the  source  of  much  amusement,  was  the 
"  Post  Office,"  where  cards  could  be  bought  and  im- 
mediately afterwards  delivered  to  those  to  whom  ad- 
dressed. The  fair  was  very  well  attended  and  was 
successful  in  every  respect. 

On  Christmas  Day,  1910,  the  Rev.  John  W.  F. 
Power  offered  up  the  Adorable  Sacrifice  for  the  first 
time.  The  Rev.  Father  Rector  Hayes  was  archpriest ; 
Father  Kenzel,  deacon  and  preacher;  and  Father 
Wynn,  subdeacon.  Father  Power  was  ordained  De- 
cember 17,  at  the  Cathedral  of  the  Immaculate  Con- 
ception, Portland,  Maine,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop 
Walsh  of  that  diocese. 


242       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


Eucharistic  Triumphs. 

Early  in  1911,  Father  Hayes  determined  to  bend 
all  his  energies  towards  the  pious  design  of  promoting 
daily  Communion  among  the  people  of  the  parish. 
With  this  end  in  view,  he  directed  the  Rev.  Henry 
Borgmann,  C.  SS.R.,  to  select  as  his  theme  for  the 
Lenten  sermons,  the  salutary  practice  of  approaching 
the  Holy  Table  every  day.  Father  Borgmann 
brought  all  his  ardent  zeal  and  great  oratorical  ability 
to  bear  on  the  sacred  task,  and  his  labors  were  crowned 
with  wonderful  success.  He  preached  the  first  sermon 
on  March  5,  and  during  that  month  the  number  of, 
Holy  Communions  was  nearly  four  times  as  large 
as  during  February.  The  following  Christmas  Day 
5,000  people  received  the  Bread  of  Angels.  The  total 
number  of  Communions  for  1911  was  290,300,  as 
against  154,670  for  1910.  Since  1911  the  yearly 
average  has  been  368,000. 

At  the  ordinations  held  July  2,  1911,  at  the  Re- 
demptorist  Seminary,  Esopus,  N.  Y.,  two  young  men 
of  the  Mission  Church  Parish,  the  Rev.  Francis  Mur- 
ray and  the  Rev.  Charles  Crowe,  were  crowned  with 
the  sublime  dignity  of  the  priesthood  by  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Bishop  Cusack.  The  following  Sunday,  July  9,  both 
celebrated  their  First  Holy  Mass ;  Father  Murray  at 
7 : 00,  and  Father  Crowe  at  10 : 30  A.  M.  At  Father 
Murray's  Mass  Father  Kenzel  was  deacon  and 
preacher;  and  the  Rev.  Joseph  O'Reilly,  C.  SS.R., 
subdeacon.  At  Father  Crowe's  Mass  the  Rev.  Fran- 
cis G.  Fischer,  C.  SS.  R.,  Professor  of  Dogmatic  The- 
ology at  the  Redemptorist  Seminary,  was  deacon  and 
preacher;  and  Father  O'Leary,  subdeacon.  At  both 
Masses  Father  Hayes  was  archpriest. 


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THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  243 

Columbus  Day,  1911,  was  signalized  by  another 
triumph  for  the  men  of  the  Mission  Church  parish. 
On  that  day  an  army  of  30,000  Catholic  men  of  Boston 
did  homage  to  the  memory  of  the  great  discoverer, 
while  over  half  a  million  people  lined  the  streets  to 
watch  them.  Military  experts  declared  that  they  had 
never  before  seen  so  large  a  body  of  civilians  so 
well  drilled  or  a  parade  so  cleverly  handled.  Of  our 
marchers  the  Boston  papers  said : 

"Notable  as  were  all  of  the  organizations  in  their  march- 
ing, there  were  some  that  made  a  greater  impression  than 
the  rest,  among  these  being  the  Bishop  Cheverus,  K.  of  C. 
Association,  the  Mission  Church  Holy  Name  Society,  and  the 
Cambridge  Council  of  K.  of  C.  .  .  . 

"The  delegation  from  the  Mission  Church,  in  subdivision 
3  was  also  received  with  much  acclaim.  The  marchers  were 
carefully  dressed  and '  marched  with  remarkable  precision. 
They  were  headed  by  the  Mission  Church  Band,  all  in  white 
duck.  Then  came  companies  of  cadets  in  spotless  white 
uniforms  with  red  facings.  Behind  them  came  several  com- 
panies of  men  marching  in  close  alignment  and  carrying 
long  red  staffs  fashioned  at  the  top  into  a  cross  and  bearing 
long  streamers  of  red,  white  and  blue.  Behind  the  men  were 
still  more  boys  dressed  as  Indians  carrying  spears  and 
behind  them  were  more  men  carrying  long  red  cross-tipped 
staves. 

"The  Mission  Church  hundreds  made  an  impression  at  the 
start  with  a  big  band  setting  a  quick  step  and  a  detachment 
of  500  boys  in  white  uniforms  with  red  epaulets  and  stripes. 
Five  hundred  men  came  next.  They  wore  black  suits  and 
white  gloves,  and  carried  canes  tipped  with  red,  white  and 
blue  ribbons.  At  the  end  of  each  line  a  man  carried  a  big 
American  flag.  One  hundred  Indian  boys  in  loose  formation 
followed.  They  stepped  out  manfully,  and  the  aspect  of  their 
long  spears,  uncouth  dress  and  head  feathers  lost  its  fierce- 
ness by  the  contrast  of  their  laughing  faces.  There  were 
three  bands  and  700  more  men  with  ribboned  canes  before  the 
society  of  this  church  passed. 

"The  Holy  Name  Society  from  the  Mission  Church  was 
accorded  a  warm  ovation  as  it  passed  the  chief  marshal's 


244       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

reviewing  stand,  the  cadets'  branch  being  particular  favorites 
with  the  crowds,  and,  as  they  marched  by,  men  applauded 
their  movements,  while  women  waved  their  handkerchiefs  with 
wild  enthusiasm." — The  Post. 

"Undoubtedly,  the  chief  feature  of  this  (Holy  Name) 
whole  division  was  the  Mission  Church  of  Roxbury,  which 
had  more  than  1,800  men  and  boys  in  line. 

"There  was  a  surprise  in  store  for  the  people,  for  their 
new  regiment  of  cadets  made  its  first  appearance  in  white 
duck  uniforms  ornamented  with  cardinal  trimmings,  and  the 
lads  marched  well.  The  brass  band  and  two  divisions  of  the 
fife  and  drum  and  bugle  corps  gave  a  splendid  supply  of 
music  for  this  big  feature  from  Roxbury.  About  100  boys 
paraded  as  Indians  in  two  sections  and  the  Holy  Name  So- 
ciety added  its  numbers  to  this  remarkable  showing  from  the 
Mission  Church. 

"The  parish  made  a  brilliant  appearance  and  won  another 
great  victory  for  the  Redemptorist  Fathers.  They  had  their 
band  and  fife  and  drum  corps  divided  into  three  sections. 
The  full  band  led  the  column  and  immediately  behind  came 
a  regiment  of  cadets  whose  appearance  was  a  surprise.  No 
one  had  seen  the  natty  white  uniforms  of  the  young  men, 
and  with  their  rifles  they  captured  the  crowds  as  they  swung 
along  at  a  marked  military  gait.  The  drum  and  bugle  corps 
then  headed  a  section  of  men,  and  in  this  section  were  100  or 
more  boys  dressed  as  Indians,  and  after  this  section  came 
another  detachment  of  fife  and  drum  and  the  remainder  of 
the  men." — The  Globe. 

"The  Mission  Church  representation  with  1,800  well 
drilled  men  in  line,  with  three  bands  and  over  100  boys 
dressed  as  Indians  with  head  feathers  and  spears,  received 
a  great  applause.  In  itself  this  division  formed  half  the 
parade." — The  Herald. 

"The  Mission  Church  Division  was  awarded  highest 
honors,  taking  two  prizes,  one  for  the  'Best  Marching  Body* 
and  the  other  for  the  'Largest  Marching  Body.' ' 

Shortly  after  the  celebration  His  Honor  Mayor 
Fitzgerald  sent  an  autograph  letter  to  Father  Hayes, 
congratulating  him  and  the  other  Fathers  on  the 
magnificent  showing  made  by  the  Mission  Church 


245 

Division  in  the  parade,  which  he  declared  was  "the 
grandest  spectacle  ever  witnessed  on  the  streets  of 
Boston." 

On  October  31,  a  report  that  had  been  previously 
afloat  to  the  effect  that  His  Grace  Archbishop  O'Con- 
nell  was  to  be  created  Cardinal,  was  officially  con- 
firmed when  His  Eminence  received  the  documents 
notifying  him  of  his  elevation  to  the  Sacred  College. 
This  glorious  news  was  nowhere  received  with  greater 
joy  than  at  the  Mission  Church,  whose  priests  and 
people  entertained  the  heartiest  admiration  and  the 
warmest  affection  for  the  illustrious  prelate.  There 
were  many  ties  to  bind  them  to  him;  but  one  especi- 
ally—  his  great  devotion  to  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 
Help. 

After  an  absence  of  nearly  three  months,  His  Emi- 
nence returned  home,  January  31, 1912,  and  was  con- 
ducted in  triumph  through  the  streets  of  Boston,  amid 
the  cheers  of  thousands,  who,  in  spite  of  a  blinding 
snowstorm,  had  gathered  to  do  honor  to  their  Most 
Eminent  Prince  and  Leader.  The  next  day  all  the 
Fathers  of  the  Mission  Church  were  present  at  the 
Solemn  Mass  offered  up  at  the  Cathedral  to  thank 
Almighty  God  for  the  signal  honor  conferred  on  the 
Archdiocese  of  Boston,  and  for  the  safe  return  of  His 
Eminence. 

To  the  Fathers  of  the  Mission  Church  the  death 
of  the  Rt.  Rev.  Mgr.  Magennis,  on  February  23, 
1912,  was  like  the  loss  of  a  dear  brother.  As  he  had 
been  a  weekly  visitor  at  the  rectory  for  forty  years,  he 
seemed  to  be  almost  a  member  of  the  community. 
His  funeral  took  place  from  St.  Thomas'  Church, 
Jamaica  Plain,  of  which  he  had  been  pastor  for  forty- 
three  years.  Fathers  Hayes,  Wynn,  Corr,  and  Hoff 
were  present.  Eternal  rest  to  the  soul  of  the  good  and 
faithful  priest,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Mgr.  Thomas  Magennis  ! 


246       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

With  the  passing  of  the  years,  the  beauty  of  the 
chimes  and  of  the  electric  crosses  in  the  church  towers 
was  more  and  more  fully  appreciated.  The  follow- 
ing letter  tells  of  their  soothing  eif  ect  on  a  sick  man : 

To  the  Editor  of  the  Boston  Herald: 

"As  a  Protestant,  writing  from  a  Protestant  Hospital, 
may  I  ask  you  to  let  me  voice  what  many  besides  myself  must 
feel — a  warm  gratitude  to  all  whose  gifts  and  self-denials 
built  the  noble  towers  of  the  Roxbury  Mission  Church.  Day 
by  day  through  these  weeks  of  illness,  the  chimes  have  marked 
for  me  the  hours  and  the  quarters,  softening  pain  with  memo- 
ries of  sweet  bells  in  gray  cathedrals  overseas.  By  night 
through  the  leaves  of  swaying  branches,  I  look  from  my 
window  to  the  golden  fires  of  the  towers'  crosses.  .  .  . 

PAUL  B.  OTIS. 

"Longwood,  May  27,  1912." 

The  Boston  Record  for  June  12  contained  the  fol- 
lowing communication,  of  interest  to  the  friends  of 
the  church: 

"Dear  Looker-on :  In  tonight's  issue  I  see  where  the  Rev. 
Austin  Rice  and  the  Rev.  Hugh  Heath  claim  to  be  the  first 
to  fly  the  Stars  and  Stripes  from  a  Church  steeple.  I  beg 
to  differ,  with  all  respect. 

"When  the  Cardinal  Archbishop  of  Boston  came  home 
from  Rome,  the  Mission  Church  of  Roxbury  raised  a  large 
American  flag  between  its  spires  and  a  more  glorious  sight 
I  want  to  see.  I  think,  in  justice,  the  honor  belongs  to  the 
Mission  Fathers  of  Roxbury. 

JOSEPH  V.  SEITZ. 
"Roxbury,  June  10,  1912." 

The  American  Flag,  as  our  readers  may  recall,  was 
first  suspended  between  the  towers  of  the  church, 
October  11, 1910. 

On  July  4,  1912,  the  Rev.  Paul  Dugal,  C.  SS.R., 
celebrated  his  First  Mass.  The  Rev.  Father  Rector 
Hayes  was  archpriest ;  the  Rev.  William  V.  Knell, 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  247 

C.  SS.  R.,  deacon  ;  the  Rev.  James  Clark,  C.  SS. R., 
subdeacon;  and  the  Rev.  Peter  Corr  preached.  Three 
days  later  two  other  newly  ordained  Redemptorists, 
the  Rev.  George  Conway  and  the  Rev.  Patrick 
McGowan,  offered  up  the  Clean  Oblation  for  the 
first  time.  At  both  Masses  the  Rev.  Father  Rector 
Hayes  was  archpriest ;  he  also  preached  at  Father 
Conway's  Mass.  The  latter  was  assisted  by  the  Rev. 
Charles  Hoff,  C.  SS.R.,  as  deacon,  and  the  Rev.  An- 
drew Wynn,  C.  SS.R.,  as  subdeacon.  At  Father 
McGowan's  Mass,  Father  Dugal  was  deacon ;  Father 
Conway,  subdeacon;  and  the  Rev.  Edward  Scully, 
C.  SS.R.,  preached.  The  Rev.  Fathers  Dugal,  Con- 
way,  and  McGowan  were  ordained  June  30,  at  Eso- 
pus,  N.  Y.,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Cusack. 

On  August  5,  Father  Hayes  was  notified  that  he 
had  been  appointed  Rector  of  the  Mission  Church  for 
another  term — his  fourth.  There  was  unbounded 
rejoicing  at  the  thought  that  his  faithful  service  had 
been  duly  appreciated,  and  that  for  at  least  three 
years  more  he  would  guide  the  bark  of  Mary  to  its 
destined  port. 

Late  in  September,  Father  Frawley,  after  an  ab- 
sence of  more  than  eight  years,  returned  to  the  Mis- 
sion Church,  as  an  assistant.  The  people  of  the  parish 
were  delighted  to  have  with  them  again  their  former 
pastor,  whose  extraordinary  labors  in  their  behalf 
during  his  long  tenure  of  office,  had  forever  endeared 
him  to  all  hearts. 

A  few  golden  days  for  Our  Lady  of  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  during  1913  were  :  Ash  Wednesday, 
with  4,000  Holy  Communions;  Easter  Sunday,  with 
5,300 ;  and  the  Feast  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help, 
with  5,500. 

On  June  29,  the  Rev.  Victor  Burns,  C.  SS.  R.,  and 
the  Rev.  Joseph  Patrick  Downey,  C.  SS.  R.,  offered 


248       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

up  Holy  Mass  for  the  first  time.  At  both  Masses  the 
Rev.  Father  Rector  Hayes  was  archpriest.  Father 
Burns  was  assisted  by  Father  O'Leary  as  deacon,  and 
the  Rev.  John  Feldmann,  C.  SS.R.,  as  subdeacon. 
The  Rev.  Thomas  Galvin,  C.SS.R.,  Rector  of  the 
Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.,  was  the  preacher.  At  Father  Downey's  Mass 
the  Rev.  Father  Kenzel  was  deacon  and  preacher, 
and  the  Rev.  Father  Galvin,  subdeacon.  The  follow- 
ing Sunday,  July  6,  the  Rev.  Francis  Connell  cele- 
brated his  First  Mass.  The  Rev.  Father  Rector  Hayes 
was  archpriest ;  the  Rev.  Father  Conway,  S.J.,  dea- 
con; and  the  Rev.  Mr.  McSweeney,  a  seminarian,  sub- 
deacon.  The  Rev.  Michael  J.  Sheehan,  C.  SS.R.,  an 
uncle  of  Father  Connell,  preached.  Fathers  Burns, 
Downey,  and  Connell  were  ordained  June  26,  at  Eso- 
pus,  N.  Y.,  by  Bishop  Cusack. 

The  Playground. 

In  the  early  summer  of  1913,  a  matter  of  vital  in- 
terest to  our  people,  a  question  which  had  been  under 
consideration  for  fifteen  years,  was  finally  settled. 

As  far  back  as  1898,  a  movement  had  been  set  on 
foot  to  have  a  public  playground  established  for  the 
children  of  Ward  19,  in  which  the  Mission  Church 
parish  is  included.  From  the  beginning  the  Fathers 
were  prominently  identified  with  the  project ;  in 
fact,  they  were  the  originators  of  it,  because  it  in- 
timately concerned  the  welfare  of  our  children,  who 
composed  the  vast  majority  of  the  little  ones  to  be 
benefited  by  the  recreation-ground. 

In  the  autumn  of  1911,  the  question  as  to  the  most 
suitable  site  for  the  playground  became  a  political 
issue.  Not  only  the  Fathers,  but  also  the  people 
of  the  parish  were  in  favor  of  having  it  located  at  or 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  249 

near  the  junction  of  Tremont  and  Philips  Streets, 
just  east  of  the  church  ;  because  this  point  marked 
the  geographical  center  as  well  as  the  center  of  popu- 
lation of  Ward  19.  A  feeble  minority,  however,  advo- 
cated its  establishment  on  Halleck  Street,  at  the  ex- 
treme end  of  the  ward,  in  a  locality  where  there  were 
very  few  children,  and  where  those  who  would  fre- 
quent the  playground  would  be  exposed  to  many 
dangers.  On  November  29,  a  mass-meeting  of  the 
men  of  the  parish  was  held  at  St.  Alphonsus'  Hall  to 
protest  against  the  selection  of  the  latter  site.  Despite 
a  heavy  downpour  of  rain,  a  great  crowd  turned  out 
to  register  their  emphatic  disapproval  of  a  measure 
that  constituted  a  violation  of  justice  and  fair  play. 
Father  Hayes,  who  was  the  leading  spirit  in  the  move- 
ment to  have  the  playground  located  at  Tremont  and 
Philips  Streets,  presided  at  the  meeting.  Nine  or  ten 
of  the  speakers  supported  his  contention,  while  only 
one  favored  the  location  at  Halleck  Street.  The 
argument  of  the  opposition  was  that  the  latter  place 
contained  less  taxable  property,  and  that,  therefore, 
the  establishment  of  the  playground  there  would 
entail  less  loss  to  the  city.  But  the  overwhelming 
majority  of  the  men  were  clearly  in  sympathy  with 
the  position  of  Father  Hayes  that  the  site  near  the 
church  should  be  chosen.  Accordingly,  resolutions  to 
that  effect  were  drawn  up,  read,  put  to  a  vote,  and 
sent  to  the  Mayor  and  to  the  members  of  the  Park 
Commission. 

At  the  annual  banquet  of  the  St.  Alphonsus  Asso- 
ciation, January  13,  1913,  His  Honor  Mayor  Fitz- 
gerald stated  with  unmistakable  emphasis  and  sin- 
cerity that  the  playground  would  be  located  where  the 
Fathers  wanted  it;  his  favorable  stand  evoked 
hearty  applause.  At  a  conference  held  later  between 
Father  Hayes,  the  Mayor,  and  the  Park  Commission, 


250       TfiE  GLORIES  OF  MAllY  IK  BOSTON 

June  26  was  set  as  the  date  for  the  final  settlement  of 
the  question.  The  result  was  that  the  Halleck  Street 
site  was  eliminated  from  consideration,  and  the  one 
east  of  the  Mission  Church  was  selected.  On  August 
26,  following,  two  lots  were  set  aside  for  the  play- 
ground ;  one  on  the  east,  the  other  on  the  west  side 
of  Philips  Street.  According  to  the  report  of  the 
Boston  Finance  Commission  (vol.  ix.,  pp.  109-110) 
the  lot  on  the  west  side  of  Philips  Street  began  at  a 
point  at  the  corner  of  the  north  side  of  Oriental  Court 
and  Philips  Street,  and  ran  westerly,  practically  in  a 
straight  line,  along  the  north  side  of  Oriental  Court, 
approximately  230  feet  to  the  wall  of  the  Mission 
Church  property ;  thence  in  a  northerly  direction, 
alongside  the  wall  of  the  Mission  Church  property, 
approximately  230  feet  to  the  property  of  Henrietta 
Bertram,  which  fronted  on  Smith  Street  place  and 
numbered  5  on  said  place  ;  thence  easterly,  practi- 
cally in  a  straight  line,  approximately  230  feet  to 
Philips  Street;  thence  to  the  point  of  beginning.  The 
lot  on  the  east  side  of  Philips  Street  began  at  the  cor- 
ner of  the  lot  occupied  by  the  Philips  Street  School, 
and  ran,  practically  in  a  straight  line,  easterly,  ap- 
proximately 300  feet  to  the  easterly  line  of  land  of 
Lillie  Lef evre ;  thence  it  ran  southerly,  by  the  easterly 
line  of  the  land  of  the  said  Lefevre,  approximately 
170  feet ;  thence  it  turned  and  ran  westerly,  approxi- 
mately 300  feet,  practically  in  a  straight  line  to  the 
east  side  of  Philips  Street ;  thence  it  turned  and  ran 
along  Philips  Street,  approximately  170  feet  to  the 
point  of  beginning.  In  the  autumn  of  1913,  the  houses 
that  stood  on  these  lots  were  torn  down  in  order  to 
make  room  for  the  playground. 

In  February,  1914,  when  Mayor  Fitzgerald's  term 
expired,  he  was  succeeded  by  the  Hon.  James  M. 
Curley.  Meanwhile  a  large  number  of  people  had 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  251 

made  the  suggestion  that  the  boundaries  of  the  play- 
ground should  be  extended  to  the  north  and  to  the 
south.  At  two  mass-meetings  held  at  St.  Alphonsus' 
Hall,  the  men  of  the  parish  went  on  record  publicly 
as  favoring  the  proposed  extension,  besides  commend- 
ing the  city  officials  for  having  selected  the  Philips 
Street  site.  With  fine  enthusiasm  Mayor  Curley 
espoused  the  proposal  to  enlarge  the  prospective  play- 
ground, and  with  characteristic  energy  set  to  work  to 
accomplish  its  realization.  On  November  16,  1915, 
the  Mayor  added  to  the  western  lot  about  154  feet  to 
the  north,  so  as  to  take  in  all  the  remaining  land  up 
to  Smith  Street,  and  about  100  feet  to  the  south,  so  as 
to  embrace  all  the  remaining  land  down  to  Tremont 
Street.  Moreover,  he  added  all  of  Philips  Street 
from  the  school  to  Tremont  Street  —  a  parcel  of  land 
330  by  30  feet  —  and  also  50  feet  along  Tremont 
Street  to  the  east,  so  as  to  make  the  boundary  line  at 
that  point  meet  the  boundary  line  of  the  eastern  lot. 
Again,  a  considerable  number  of  houses  were  de- 
molished, making  63  in  all.  The  work  of  laying  out 
the  playground  and  of  providing  it  with  all  the  neces- 
sary appurtenances  was  done  as  quickly  as  possible, 
and  finally,  on  September  3,  1917>  the  recreation 
ground  was  dedicated  with  appropriate  exercises  to 
the  use  of  the  children. 

The  credit  for  this  notable  achievement,  which  con- 
tributes so  much  to  the  material  welfare  of  our  chil- 
dren and  to  the  beauty  of  the  church's  surroundings, 
belongs  to  Father  Hayes,  nobly  seconded  by  the  vast 
majority  of  the  men  of  the  parish.  And  certainly  we 
must  not  forget  the  great  debt  of  gratitude  we  owe  to 
the  Hon.  John  F.  Fitzgerald  and  to  the  Hon.  James 
M.  Curley,  former  Mayors  of  Boston,  as  also  to  the 
members  of  the  Park  Commission. 


252       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

In  November,  1913,  the  old  sidewalk  in  front  of  the 
church  and  part  of  the  steps  were  removed.  A  grano- 
lithic sidewalk  was  then  laid,  and  the  steps  were 
widened.  The  approach  to  the  church  was  thus  con- 
siderably beautified. 

On  March  27,  1914,  the  Rev.  Andrew  Wynn, 
C.  SS.R.,  vice-Rector  of  the  community,  celebrated  the 
Golden  Jubilee  of  his  profession  as  a  Redemptorist. 
On  that  happy  day,  according  to  a  custom  of  several 
years'  standing,  he  said  Mass  at  the  Shrine  of  Our 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help.  To  Her,  under  God,  he 
declared,  he  owed  his  religious  vocation,  and,  there- 
fore, he  wished  to  thank  Her  on  his  jubilee  day  for  all 
the  graces  bestowed  on  him  during  the  past  fifty 
years,  especially  for  the  inestimable  favor  of  having 
been  called  to  the  priesthood  in  the  Congregation  of 
the  Most  Holy  Redeemer.  After  his  Mass  Father 
Wynn,  kneeling  before  his  Superior,  Father  Hayes, 
renewed  his  vows  in  the  presence  of  the  entire  commu- 
nity. The  Sisters,  the  school  children,  and  a  large 
number  of  the  adult  laity  received  Communion  from 
the  hand  of  the  venerable  priest. 

The  Rev.  Ambrose  Walker  sang  his  First  Solemn 
Mass,  April  26.  The  deacon  was  the  Rev.  James  Mc- 
Carthy, pastor  of  St.  William's  Church,  Dorchester  ; 
the  subdeacon,  the  Rev.  Stephen  J.  Chamberlin  ;  the 
preacher,  the  Rev.  Philip  O'Donnell,  pastor  of  St. 
James's  Church,  Boston.  Present  in  the  sanctuary 
were  the  Rt.  Rev.  Mgr.  O'Farrell,  pastor  of  St. 
Francis  de  Sales'  Church,  Roxbury,  and  several  other 
clerical  friends  of  the  young  celebrant.  Father 
Walker  was  ordained  April  6,  at  St.  John's  Seminary, 
Brighton,  by  His  Eminence  Cardinal  O'Connell. 

A  four  weeks'  mission,  conducted  by  the  Redemp- 
torist Fathers  Kenna,  Conway,  Turner,  and  Crowe, 
was  begun  September  27,  1914.  The  number 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  253 

of  confessions  heard  was  as  follows  :  Married  women, 
2,306  ;  single  women,  2,514  ;  married  men,  1,648  ; 
single  men,  1,789;  boys,  647;  girls,  846:  total,  9,750. 

On  Sunday,  December  27,  Governor  David  I. 
Walsh  was  present  at  the  last  Mass  at  the  Mission 
Church,  and,  after  taking  luncheon  with  the  Fathers, 
remained  at  the  rectory  as  their  guest  until  3 : 00  P.  M. 
Four  weeks  later,  at  the  9  o'clock  Mass,  the  Governor 
and  his  secretary  received  Holy  Communion.  This 
was  the  first  time  that  two  men  so  prominent  in 
the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  had  ever  done 
so  at  the  Mission  Church.  The  practical  faith  of  the 
Governor,  who  was  recognized  by  many  of  the  con- 
gregation, was  a  source  of  great  edification. 

Two  new  side  altars,  the  one,  dedicated  to  the  Sacred 
Heart  of  Jesus;  the  other,  to  St.  Joseph,  were  un- 
veiled on  Easter  Sunday,  1915.  The  altars,  which  it 
took  six  months  to  erect,  are  of  solid  marble  ;  each 
weighs  28  tons,  and  contains  mosaics  which  are  fine 
specimens  of  workmanship.  After  the  Masses  and 
the  evening  devotions,  the  people  crowded  to  the  front 
of  the  church  to  get  a  close  view  of  the  altars,  and 
gave  utterance  to  many  expressions  of  enthusiastic 
admiration. 

By  appointment  of  Father  Hayes  the  Rev.  John 
O'Leary,  C.  SS.R.,  of  the  Mission  Church  preached 
at  the  Solemn  Military  Mass  celebrated  on  Pentecost 
Sunday,  May  23,  in  Fenway  Park,  by  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Mgr.  Splaine,  pastor  of  St.  Joseph's  Church,  Rox- 
bury.  Father  O'Leary  said,  in  part: 

"What  a  magnificent  spectacle  !  Thousands  bowing  before 
the  altar  of  God  in  patriotic  service  commemorating  the  lives 
and  deeds  of  those  heroic  men  who  were  ready  to  lay  down 
their  lives  for  their  country.  This  public  act  of  worship  does 
more  honor  to  our  country  than  the  greatest  achievements  of 
art,  science,  literature  or  commerce,  and  is  a  more  certain 


254       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

pledge  of  our  country's  future  happiness  than  vast  standing 
armies  and  embattled  fleets,  for  it  proclaims  the  fact  that  a 
large  portion,  at  least,  of  the  people  still  recognize  that 
above  the  power  of  armies  and  navies,  that  above  the  states- 
man's skill  and  the  merchant's  ardent  zeal,  there  reigns  the 
God  of  Hosts,  and  in  His  hands  are  the  peace,  the  prosperity, 
and  the  destiny  of  nations.  .  .  . 

"May  He  who  died  on  the  Cross  and  lifts  His  sacrificial 
hands  at  this  altar  today,  may  He  wash  away  their  errors 
and  transgressions,  purify  their  souls  from  stain,  and  requite 
the  life  they  laid  down  for  others  with  that  greater  life  of 
heavenly  bliss  that  has  no  end."  * 


The  Mission  Church  Field  Band,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Rev.  James  Clark,  C.  SS.R.,  made  a  fine 
showing  on  this  occasion,  and  was  heartily  applauded 
by  the  15,000  people  present. 

On  June  10,  at  Esopus,  N.  Y.,  His  Eminence  Car- 
dinal Farley  ordained  to  the  priesthood  16  Redemp- 
torist  seminarians,  of  whom  four  were  sons  of  the 
Mission  Church  parish  :  the  Rev.  John  Hegarty,  the 
Rev.  Richard  Keenan,  the  Rev.  John  Shaughnessy, 
and  the  Rev.  William  McCarthy.  The  following 
Sunday,  the  13th,  Father  Hegarty  and  Father  Kee- 
nan celebrated  their  First  Mass.  At  Father  Hegarty 's 
Mass  the  Rev.  Daniel  Collins,  C.  SS.R.,  was  deacon 
and  preacher;  and  the  Rev.  Alfred  Jones,  C.  SS.R., 
subdeacon.  At  Father  Keenan's  Mass  the  Rev. 
Michael  Gannon,  C.  SS  R.,  was  deacon  and  preacher; 
and  the  Rev.  John  Sippel,  C.  SS.  R.,  subdeacon.  The 
Rev.  Father  Rector  Hayes  was  archpriest  at  both 
Masses.  One  week  later  Father  Shaughnessy  and 
Father  McCarthy  offered  up  the  Tremendous  Sacri- 
fice for  the  first  time.  Father  Shaughnessy  was  as- 


*Father  O'Leary's  sermon  is  given  in  full  in  the  work  entitled 
"Addresses  at  Patriotic  and  Civic  Occasions  by  Catholic  Orators" 
(New  York:  Joseph  F.  Wagner,  vol.  1,  pp.  28-31). 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  255 

sisted  by  the  Rev.  William  V.  Knell,  C.SS.R.,  as 
deacon,  and  the  Rev.  James  Lynch,  C.  SS.  R.,  as  sub- 
deacon.  The  Rev.  John  Conway,  C.  S S.  R.,  preached. 
Father  McCarthy  had  as  deacon  the  Rev.  Father 
O'Leary,  and  as  subdeacon  the  Rev.  Henry  Knecht, 
C.SS.R.  The  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev. 
Joseph  Turner,  C.SS.R.  On  this  Sunday  also, 
Father  Hayes  officiated  as  archpriest  at  both  Masses. 

On  July  10,  Father  Hayes,  like  his  immediate  pre- 
decessor, Father  Frawley,  was  appointed  Rector  for 
the  fifth  time. 

At  the  beginning  of  Advent  four  new  statues  were 
placed  on  the  two  side  altars  spoken  of  before :  on  the 
Sacred  Heart  Altar,  the  statues  of  St.  Alphonsus  and 
St.  Theresa ;  on  St.  Joseph's  Altar,  the  statues  of 
St.  Clement  Hofbauer  and  St.  Gerard  Majella. 

On  Good  Friday,  1916,  a  new  crucifix  was  set  over 
the  Tabernacle  of  the  high  altar.  The  frame  on 
which  the  Image  rests  is  of  mahogany  with  a  covering 
of  gilt.  The  Figure  is  of  holly,  without  paint  or 
varnish;  it  was  wrought  from  a  tree,  is  in  one  piece, 
and  is  in  every  respect  a  beautiful  specimen  of  art. 

In  June  of  that  year  three  newly  ordained  Redemp- 
torists,  the  Rev.  Thomas  Tobin,  the  Rev.  John 
Murphy,  and  the  Rev.  Joseph  Lorden,  said  their  First 
Mass;  Fathers  Tobin  and  Murphy,  on  the  llth;  and 
Father  Lorden,  on  the  18th.  At  Father  Tobin's  Mass 
the  Rev.  Alfred  Jones  was  deacon  and  preacher,  and 
the  Rev.  Paul  Dugal,  C.SS.R.,  subdeacon.  At 
Father  Murphy's  Mass  the  Rev.  Father  Lynch  was 
deacon  and  preacher,  and  the  Rev.  Thomas  Raynor, 
C.SS.R.,  subdeacon.  Father  Lorden  was  assisted 
by  Father  Clark  as  deacon  and  preacher,  and  the  Rev. 
Stephen  L.  Ahern,  C.SS.R.,  as  subdeacon.  Father 
Hayes,  as  usual,  was  archpriest  at  all  these  Masses. 
The  Rev.  Fathers  Tobin,  Murphy,  and  Lorden  were 


256       THE  GLORIES  OF  MAEY  IN  BOSTON 

ordained  June  7,  at  Esopus,  N.  Y.,  by  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Patrick  J.  Hayes,  D.D.,  at  that  time  Titular  Bishop 
of  Tagaste  and  Auxiliary  to  the  Cardinal  Archbishop 
of  New  York. 

OUR  LADY'S  GOLDEN  VESTURE. 

The  original  picture  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 
Help  was  restored  to  public  veneration  in  1866.  The 
Golden  Jubilee  of  that  blessed  event  occurred,  of 
course,  in  1916,  and  was  celebrated  with  appropriate 
solemnities  in  all  Redemptorist  churches  throughout 
the  world. 

At  the  Mission  Church  Father  Hayes  decided  to 
have  a  Grand  Triduum  in  honor  of  the  Mother  of 
Perpetual  Help,  to  thank  Her  for  all  the  graces  and 
favors  bestowed  on  the  church  through  her  merciful 
intercession  during  the  past  forty- six  years,  and  to 
implore  a  continuance  of  her  blessings.  The  Triduum 
was  preceded  by  a  two  weeks'  retreat  for  all  the 
people  of  the  parish.  The  idea  of  the  retreat  was  to 
attune  the  hearts  of  the  faithful  to  the  Triduum,  so 
as  to  make  it  a  supreme  event  in  the  history  of  the 
church.  The  retreat,  which  began  October  15,  was 
conducted  by  the  Rev.  Fathers  Collins,  Byrne, 
Turner,  and  Treanor.  The  exercises  were  held 
simultaneously  in  the  upper  church  and  in  St.  Ger- 
ard's Chapel.  During  the  retreat  the  school  children 
made  a  Novena  of  Communions,  and  so  great  was 
the  fervor  of  the  adults  as  well  as  of  the  children  that 
during  the  period  from  October  15  to  November  2, 
inclusive,  no  less  than  70,000  Holy  Communions 
were  distributed. 

The  Triduum  was  opened  October  29,  with  a  Sol- 
emn Mass,  of  which  the  Very  Rev.  Joseph  Schneider, 
C. SS.R.,  Provincial,  was  celebrant;  the  Rev. 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  257 

Daniel  Collins,  C.  SS.R.,  deacon;  and  the  Rev.  John 
F.  Byrne,  C.  SS.R.,  subdeacon.  His  Eminence  Car- 
dinal O'Connell,  vested  in  Cappa  Magna,  occupied  his 
throne  on  the  Gospel  side  of  the  sanctuary  and  pre- 
sided at  the  Mass.  Father  Hayes,  after  welcoming 
His  Eminence  and  thanking  him  for  the  honor  of  his 
presence,  delivered  an  impressive  sermon  on  the 
Miraculous  Picture.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  Mass, 
His  Eminence  made  a  beautiful  address,  in  which  he 
expressed  his  delight  at  being  able  to  show  his 
ardent  love  for  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  to 
whom  he  had  always  cherished  a  tender  devotion,  who 
had  lavished  on  him  so  many  favors,  and  had  so  sig- 
nally blessed  the  people  of  the  Mission  Church  and  of 
the  whole  archdiocese.  He  also  expressed  pleasure  at 
having  the  Sons  of  St.  Alphonsus  in  his  diocese,  who, 
by  their  straightforward  manner  and  especially  by 
their  unswerving  loyalty  to  their  Bishop,  were  doing 
an  incalculable  amount  of  good. 

A  handsome  painting  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 
Help,  executed  especially  for  the  Triduum,  was 
suspended  from  the  ceiling  of  the  sanctuary.  The 
background,  measuring  24.4  by  11  feet,  was  of  that 
species  of  wool  known  as  "  Rep."  The  Image  itself, 
modeled  after  the  original  by  Mr.  August  Geisel- 
hart,  was  9.5  by  6.5  feet.  The  border  of  the  painting, 
made  of  the  best  gold  braid,  was  designed  by  Mr. 
Franz  Untersee,  of  Boston. 

In  May,  1917,  a  new  system  of  lighting  was  in- 
stalled in  the  upper  church. 

On  June  17,  the  Rev.  John  Sephton,  C.  SS.  R.,  and 
the  Rev.  John  Waldron,  C.  SS.  R.,  said  their  First 
Mass.  The  deacon  at  Father  Sephton's  Mass  was  the 
Rev.  Father  Duran  of  All  Saints'  Church,  Roxbury  ; 
the  subdeacon,  the  Rev.  Father  Clark ;  and  the 


258       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

preacher,  the  Rev.  Timothy  McDonnell,  C.  SS.R. 
Father  Waldron  was  assisted  by  Father  Sephton  as 
deacon,  and  Father  Lynch  as  subdeacon.  The  sermon 
was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Gilhooly,  C.  SS.R. 
Father  Hayes  acted  as  archpriest  at  both  Masses. 
The  Sunday  following,  June  24,  the  Rev.  George 
Acres,  C.  SS.  R.,  celebrated  his  First  Mass.  Father 
Turner  was  deacon  and  preacher ;  Father  Clark,  sub- 
deacon;  and  Father  Lynch,  archpriest.  The  Rev. 
Fathers  Sephton,  Waldron,  and  Acres  were  ordained 
June  13,  at  Esopus,  N.  Y.,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop 
Hayes. 

On  October  9,  a  magnificent  ostensorium  made  from 
the  gold  offerings  of  the  faithful  was  received  from 
the  manufacturer.  It  was  intended  as  a  memorial  of 
the  Golden  Jubilee  of  the  wonder-working  Picture  of 
Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help.  The  gold  used  in  its 
making  was  the  residue  from  the  bulk  contributed  for 
the  construction  of  a  ciborium  destined  for  the  same 
purpose.  The  chalice  and  the  monstrance  were  used 
for  the  first  time  on  Christmas  Day. 

The  Rev.  James  Clark,  C.  SS.R.,  who  for  nearly 
eight  years  had  labored  with  highly  commendable  zeal 
at  the  Mission  Church,  was  notified  by  the  Very  Rev. 
Father  Provincial  Schneider  on  February  23,  1918, 
that  his  name  had  been  presented  to  the  military 
authorities  for  a  chaplaincy  in  the  Army.  A  few 
weeks  later  Father  Clark  was  formally  appointed. 
On  April  3,  a  farewell  reception  was  tendered  him 
at  St.  Alphonsus'  Hall.  A  large  crowd  attended  the 
entertainment  given  in  his  honor  and  for  his  benefit. 
The  program  consisted  of  songs,  motion-pictures,  an 
address  by  Father  Hayes,  the  reading  of  the  commis- 
sion from  President  Wilson  by  which  Father  Clark 
was  designated  First  Lieutenant,  and  a  speech  by  the 
chaplain-elect.  A  contingent  of  soldiers  from  Camp 


MISSION  CHURCH  TOWERS 
Towers  erected  in  1910.     New  Parochial  Residence  erected  in  1903. 


MISSION  CHURCH 
Showing  Vestry  and  Garden. 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  259 

Devens,  Ayer,  Mass.,  and  a  number  of  sailors  were 
present.  The  following  day  Father  Clark  left  Bos- 
ton en  route  for  his  cantonment  at  Gestner  Field, 
Lake  Charles,  Louisiana.  At  the  hour  of  his  depar- 
ture, the  school  children  were  assembled  in  front  of 
the  church,  and  the  adjoining  streets  were  crowded 
with  men  and  women  who  had  come  to  bid  the  beloved 
priest  an  affectionate  farewell.  When  he  emerged 
from  the  church,  where  he  had  made  a  parting  visit  to 
the  Shrine,  the  Mission  Church  Field  Band  played  a 
stirring  martial  air.  Father  Clark  was  accompanied 
to  New  York  by  Father  Hayes. 

During  this  year  three  newly  ordained  priests  cele- 
brated their  First  Mass;  two  of  them  were  brothers, 
the  Rev.  Francis  Neville,  C.  SS.  R.,  and  the  Rev.  Paul 
Neville,  O.  F.  M.  By  a  happy  dispensation  of  Divine 
Providence  both  these  young  men  said  their  First 
Mass  on  the  same  day,  Pentecost  Sunday,  May  19. 
At  Father  Francis  Neville's  Mass,  his  brother  Paul 
was  deacon;  the  Rev.  James  Lynch,  C.  SS.R.,  sub- 
deacon;  and  the  Rev.  Timothy  McDonnell,  C.  SS.  R., 
preached.  At  Father  Paul's  Mass,  Francis  was  dea- 
con; and  the  Rev.  Father  Kelly,  O.F.  M.,  subdeacon 
and  preacher.  Father  Hayes  officiated  as  archpriest 
at  both  Masses.  Father  Francis  Neville  was  ordained 
May  17,  at  Esopus,  N.  Y.,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop 
Russell  of  Charleston,  S.  C.  Father  Paul  was  or- 
dained the  following  day  at  St.  Bonaventure's  Church, 
Paterson,  New  Jersey,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop 
O'Connor,  of  Newark,  N.  J.  One  week  later,  May  26, 
the  Rev.  Patrick  Rogers  offered  up  his  First  Mass. 
The  Rev.  Patrick  Phelan,  of  the  Harrisburg  Cathe- 
dral, was  deacon;  and  the  Rev.  George  Schneider, 
C.  SS.  R.,  subdeacon.  The  Rev.  James  Lynch, 
C.  SS.R.,  preached.  Father  Rogers  was  ordained 
May  18,  at  St.  Bonaventure's  College,  AUeghany, 


260       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

N.  Y.,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  John  M.  Gannon,  D.D., 
titular  Bishop  of  Nilopolis  and  Auxiliary  to  the 
Bishop  of  Erie,  Pa. 

Official  advices  were  received  at  the  rectory  on  June 
11,  to  the  effect  that  the  Rev.  Father  Hayes  had  been 
transferred  to  St.  Joseph's  Mission  House,  Atlantic 
City,  N.  J.,  and  that  the  Rev.  William  B.  Kenna, 
C.  SS.R.,  former  Rector  of  St.  Clement's  College, 
Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y.,  had  been  appointed  to 
succeed  him. 

The  departure  of  Father  Hayes  was  deeply  and 
sincerely  regretted.  With  one  exception  he  held  the 
record  for  continuous  service  at  the  Mission  Church, 
having  spent  nearly  twenty  years  here  —  five  and  a 
half,  as  assistant,  and  fourteen,  as  Rector.  During  that 
long  period  he  had  fulfilled  with  enviable  distinction 
and  marked  ability  every  task  allotted  to  him,  and  had 
endeared  himself  to  all  with  whom  he  had  come  in 
contact.  His  administration  forms  one  of  the 
brightest  chapters  in  the  history  of  the  church,  and  his 
own  record  is  his  best  eulogy.  After  remaining  here 
about  four  weeks,  in  order  to  acquaint  the  incoming 
Rector  with  his  manifold  and  onerous  duties,  Father 
Hayes  left  Boston  on  July  8  for  his  new  home — but 
he  still  remains  in  the  memory  and  in  the  affections  of 
the  people. 

THE  RECTOEATE  OF  FATHER  KENNA. 

The  Rev.  William  B.  Kenna  arrived  June  24,  and 
the  next  day  was  inducted  into  office  with  the  pre- 
scribed formalities. 

On  July  18,  the  Rev.  Thomas  J.  Raynor,  C.  SS.  R., 
of  the  Mission  Church,  received  official  notification  of 
his  appointment  as  K.  of  C.  chaplain  to  the  soldiers 
at  the  forts  in  Boston  Harbor.  For  nearly  a  year 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  261 

previously,  Father  Raynor  had  been  laboring  nobly 
in  the  spiritual  interest  of  these  men,  having  heard 
confessions  on  more  than  one  occasion  from  half  past 
seven  in  the  evening  until  two  o'clock  the  next  morn- 
ing. 

The  Flag-Raising. 

A  most  interesting  and  inspiring  chapter  in  the 
history  of  the  Mission  Church  was  written  on  Sunday, 
September  8,  when,  amid  a  scene  of  imposing  splen- 
dor, the  Service  Flag  was  raised,  and  public  tribute 
paid  to  the  1,057  men  who  were  at  that  time  enlisted 
in  the  cause  of  our  beloved  country.  For  weeks  ahead 
the  Fathers  had  been  busy  preparing  every  detail  of 
the  demonstration.  Everyone  anticipated  a  grand 
spectacle,  but  the  reality  completely  dwarfed  all  ex- 
pectations. 

Before  sunset  on  Saturday,  the  entire  district  had 
been  elaborately  decked  out  with  the  national  colors; 
and  Old  Glory,  flying  and  fluttering  from  the  win- 
dows of  thousands  of  homes,  reflected  the  patriotism 
that  burned  in  all  hearts. 

The  celebration  was  ushered  in  with  a  Solemn  Mili- 
tary Mass  at  ten  o'clock;  but  long  before  that  hour, 
the  streets  near  the  church  were  thronged  with  eager 
and  enthusiastic  spectators.  The  reception  committee, 
composed  of  men  of  the  parish,  attired  in  frock  coat 
and  high  silk  hat,  reached  the  rectory  at  nine;  and 
shortly  afterwards  the  distinguished  guests  began  to 
arrive.  General  Sullivan,  with  his  entire  staff  from 
the  State  Guard,  was  the  first  to  be  received.  After 
General  Sullivan  came  Captain  Ziegemeier  of  the 
Battleship  Virginia ;  then  followed  Commander 
O'Leary,  representing  the  Commandant  of  the 
Charlestown  Navy  Yard.  Rear  Admiral  Spencer 


262       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

S.  Wood,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  children, 
arrived  shortly  before  ten  o'clock,  and  was 
welcomed  by  the  entire  committee  with  full  honors. 
Captain  Raby  of  the  Battleship  Missouri  had  come  the 
evening  before,  and  had  spent  the  night  at  the  rectory. 

At  10:00  A.  M.,  Lieutenant  Stephans,  in  charge  of 
the  soldiers  and  sailors,  who  had  assembled  at  St. 
Alphonsus'  Hall,  gave  the  command.  Headed  by  the 
Mission  Church  Band  and  attended  by  the  Fife  and 
Drum  Corps  and  the  Cadets,  the  troops,  about  five 
hundred  strong,  marched  up  St.  Alphonsus  Street  to 
Tremont,  where  they  were  drawn  up  at  attention.  At 
this  juncture  an  automobile  drove  up  to  the  rectory, 
and,  to  the  pleasant  surprise  of  all,  His  Eminence 
Cardinal  O'Connell  alighted.  This  was  an  unexpected 
honor,  for  His  Eminence  had  notified  the  Fathers 
that,  much  as  he  desired  to  take  part  in  the  celebra- 
tion, it  would  be  impossible  for  him  to  do  so,  owing  to 
a  previous  engagement  at  St.  Augustine's  Church, 
South  Boston.  However,  in  order  to  show  his  esteem 
and  affection  for  the  Fathers  and  the  people  of  the 
parish,  His  Eminence  came,  at  great  personal  incon- 
venience, to  take  part  in  the  procession  and  to  recite 
the  preliminary  prayers  of  the  Mass. 

After  greetings  had  been  exchanged  between  His 
Eminence  and  Admiral  Wood  and  the  other  distin- 
guished guests,  the  procession  was  formed,  and  moved 
along  Tremont  Street  to  the  main  entrance  of  the 
church.  At  the  head  of  the  line  walked  General  Sulli- 
van with  his  entire  staff.  Captain  Ziegemeier  was 
followed  by  Captain  Raby,  each  with  an  orderly  and 
two  members  of  the  reception  committee.  A  conspicu- 
ous figure  in  line  was  Colonel  Archie  Miller,  in  com- 
mand of  the  Aviation  Camp  at  Mineola,  L.  I.,  where 
the  Rev.  Francis  Murray,  C.  SS.R.,  of  the  Mission 
Church  parish,  was  chaplain.  After  Colonel  Miller. 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  263 

came  Major  Moore,  the  personal  representative  of 
General  Crozier,  and  Lieutenant  Campbell,  repre- 
senting General  Ruckman. 

Following  the  honored  guests  were  two  young  men 
in  khaki  —  once  sanctuary  boys  at  the  Mission  Church 
—  Francis  Kennedy,  from  Camp  Devens,  and  Harry 
Bowen,  of  Fort  Warren,  who  acted  as  censer-bearers 
during  the  Mass.  Daniel  Sheils,  Paymaster's  Clerk 
at  Battery  Wharf,  and  Francis  Mahoney,  from  the 
same  station,  were  the  acolytes.  Between  them  walked 
Private  Archie  McDonald,  the  cross-bearer.  Next  in 
line  were  the  soldiers  and  the  sailors  of  the  parish,  who 
assisted  as  clerics  in  the  sanctuary.  The  buglers  and 
the  drummers  followed  after  these.  Then  came  the 
reverend  chaplains  from  the  Army  and  the  Navy  — 
all  in  uniform.  The  Rev.  Father  Foley,  chaplain  of 
the  Battleship  Nebraska,  was  escorted  by  two  Jesuit 
scholastics,  Messrs.  Raymond  Mclnnis  and  John 
O'Connor.  The  Rev.  Father  Monahan,  Chaplain  of 
the  Battleship  Kearsarge,  was  accompanied  by  two 
Fathers  of  the  Mission  Church.  The  Rev.  Charles 
Hoif,  C.SS.R.,  Rector  of  St.  Augustine's  Church, 
Puerta  de  Tierra,  Porto  Rico,  was  master  of  cere- 
monies. The  Rev.  Francis  Murray,  C.  SS.R.,  chap- 
lain at  Mineola,  L.  I.,  was  deacon,  and  the  Rev. 
Stephen  Ahem,  C.  SS.  R.,  chaplain  at  Fort  Hancock, 
subdeacon.  The  celebrant  of  the  Mass  was  the 
Very  Rev.  Joseph  A.  Schneider,  C.SS.R.,  Provin- 
cial. His  Eminence  Cardinal  O'Connell,  who,  of 
course,  had  the  place  of  honor  at  the  end  of  the  line, 
was  attended  by  two  priests  of  the  community. 

After  the  guests  and  the  clerics  had  entered  the 
church,  Lieutenant  Stephans  gave  the  command,  and 
the  rank  and  file  marched  in,  four  abreast.  The  mili- 
tary ushers  had  charge  of  the  seating  of  the  enlisted 
men.  The  Army  occupied  the  pews  on  the  Gospel 


264       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

side  of  the  main  aisle,  while  the  Navy  were  seated  on 
the  Epistle  side. 

The  male  choir  under  the  able  direction  of  Prof. 
Frank  E.  Fassnacht,  whose  three  sons  were  serving 
with  the  Colors,  rendered  an  appropriate  and  impres- 
sive program.  The  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev. 
Joseph  Turner,  C.  SS.R.,  of  the  Mission  Church. 
He  thus  stated  the  purpose  of  the  demonstration : 

"We  have  gathered  here  to  invoke  the  blessing  of  the  Al- 
mighty on  our  nation  and  on  our  flag.  We  have  gathered  here 
to  petition  the  great  God  of  Heaven  and  earth  to  cast  a 
special  arm  of  protection  around  every  one  of  our  boys  and 
to  give  strength  to  their  arms  and  courage  to  their  heart. 
We  have  a  mighty  task  before  us,  the  task  of  defending  the 
glorious  flag  of  our  country,  that  flag  that  was  never  lowered 
in  ignominious  defeat,  that  flag  that  never  allowed  the  army 
to  do  a  dishonorable  thing  in  all  its  history." 

A  striking  feature  of  the  Mass  occurred  when  the 
bugles  announced  the  Offertory.  A  guard  of  honor, 
composed  of  twenty  soldiers  from  Fort  Andrews,  led 
by  the  color-bearer  with  his  escort,  marched  up  the 
main  aisle  and  formed  a  circle  round  the  altar,  where 
they  remained  at  attention  until  after  the  Communion. 
A  death-like  silence  reigned  at  the  Elevation,  as  the 
bugles  rang  out  and  the  drums  rolled.  At  the  end  of 
the  Mass,  while  the  enlisted  men  were  leaving  the 
church,  the  Sextette  from  Lucia,  with  appropriate 
words  composed  for  the  occasion,  was  beautifully 
executed  by  the  choir.  The  recessional  was  uplifting 
and  inspiring;  it  told  of  brave  deeds  and  of  blood- 
stained fields  in  far-off  Flanders. 

At  noon  luncheon  was  served  by  the  Fathers  to 
the  distinguished  assembly.  During  the  repast  a  select 
quartette  furnished  a  variety  of  songs,  all  of  which 
received  generous  applause.  One  of  the  most  re- 
markable features  of  the  entire  celebration  was  the 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  265 

feeding  of  approximately  600  enlisted  men  in  the 
drill-hall  of  the  school.  A  very  substantial  meal  had 
been  provided,  and  all  spoke  in  complimentary  terms 
of  the  service  they  received.  At  the  end  of  the  lunch- 
eon, after  cigarettes  had  been  furnished,  the  men  were 
conducted  to  St.  Alphonsus'  Hall,  where  an  entertain- 
ment was  given  by  the  members  of  the  Association. 

At  2:30  P.  M.,  General  Sullivan,  the  Grand 
Marshal  of  the  parade,  accompanied  by  his  staff, 
drove  to  the  Wentworth  Institute,  on  Huntington 
Avenue,  where  the  various  military  units  had 
assembled  for  the  outdoor  demonstration.  Mean- 
while men  who  held  high  office  in  the  National, 
State,  and  city  governments,  together  with  person- 
ages eminent  in  Army  and  in  Navy  circles  were  gath- 
ering on  the  reviewing  stand  in  front  of  the  church. 
The  State  was  represented  by  Lieutenant- Gov- 
ernor Calvin  Coolidge  (now  Vice-President  of  the 
United  States) ;  the  city,  by  Mayor  Andrew  J.  Peters, 
who  was  accompanied  by  his  Secretary,  Edward 
Moore;  the  National  Government  by  Congressman 
George  H.  Tinkham.  From  the  Army  came  Major 
General  Crozier,  together  with  Mrs.  Crozier,  and 
Major  Moore,  his  Adjutant.  Brigadier  General 
John  W.  Ruckman  with  his  aide  represented  the 
North  Atlantic  Coast  Artillery.  Colonel  Quimby 
with  Lieutenant  O'Connell  from  Fort  Andrews, 
Colonel  Miller  from  the  Aviation  Camp  at  Mineola, 
Chaplains  Francis  Murray,  Stephen  Ahern,  Thomas 
Raynor  and  George  A.  Crimmen,  all  of  the  Army, 
were  also  on  the  stand.  From  the  Navy  there  were 
Admiral  Spencer  S.  Wood,  Commandant  of  the  First 
Naval  District ;  Captains  Raby  and  Ziegemeier,  each 
with  his  orderly;  Commander  O'Leary,  the  per- 
sonal representative  of  Commandant  Rush  of  the 
Charlestown  Navy  Yard;  and  Chaplains  Foley,  Mon- 


266       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

ahan,  and  O'Rourke.  Mr.  Dooley,  gentleman-in- wait- 
ing to  His  Eminence  Cardinal  O'Connell,  also  had  a 
place  on  the  reviewing  stand.  The  Rev.  Father  Rec- 
tor Kenna  accompanied  the  Very  Rev.  Father  Pro- 
vincial to  the  stand,  where  they  met  the  Rev.  Father 
Stanton,  S.J.,  and  the  Rev.  Father  George,  C.  P.  At 
the  foot  of  the  reviewing  stand,  stood  the  entire  re- 
ception committee  in  square  formation.  While  the 
guests  were  waiting  for  the  parade  to  approach,  a 
chorus  of  one  thousand  children,  under  the  care  of  the 
faithful  School  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame,  sang  patriotic 
airs  with  so  much  feeling  that  the  immense  crowd 
burst  into  spontaneous  applause. 

At  about  3:15,  the  head  of  the  parade  swung  round 
Brigham  Circle  to  Tremont  Street.  In  the  lead  was 
the  famous  Tenth  Coast  Artillery  Band,  which 
escorted  the  soldiers  from  the  forts  in  Boston  Harbor. 
Next  came  the  Twentieth  Coast  Artillery  Band,  fol- 
lowed by  the  boys  from  the  Wentworth  Institute 
and  from  Camp  Devens.  The  Mission  Church 
Field  Band  headed  the  sailors  from  the  battleships, 
and  from  the  Charlestown  Navy  Yard,  Common- 
wealth Pier,  Fore  River,  Battery  Wharf,  and  the 
Radio  School.  The  Drum  Corps  from  St.  Joseph's 
Parish,  Roxbury,  received  unstinted  acclaim,  as  it 
marched  at  the  head  of  the  State  Guard  —  six  hundred 
strong.  One  of  the  most  picturesque  divisions  of  the 
parade  was  that  made  up  of  two  hundred  Fourth 
Degree  Knights  of  Columbus,  with  sword  and  baldric. 
They  were  accompanied  by  the  popular  Everett  City 
Band.  Last,  marched  the  Mission  Church  Drum 
Corps  and  Cadets.  They  were  cheered  lustily  by  the 
thousands  of  spectators,  who  knew  that  many  of  the 
men  in  the  service  had  come  from  their  ranks. 

Another  striking  feature  of  the  parade  was  the 
Flag  Section.    A  huge  American  Flag,  one  of  the 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  267 

largest  in  the  city,  was  carried  by  boy  graduates 
of  the  parochial  school;  while  girl  graduates  bore 
the  beautiful  Service  Flag.  A  detail  of  soldiers  and 
sailors  assisted  in  carrying  both  flags.  As  soon  as  the 
van  of  the  parade  had  reached  the  eastern  gate  of  the 
playground,  the  order  was  given  to  swing  to  the  left 
and  enter  the  park  ;  when  the  last  man  had  passed 
the  reviewing  stand,  the  head  of  the  line  once  more 
marched  along  Tremont  toward  St.  Alphonsus  Street, 
so  that  every  man  in  line  was  drawn  up  at  attention 
in  the  middle  of  the  street.  A  perfect  picture  was 
thus  presented  at  the  main  entrance  of  the  church. 
The  background  was  formed  by  one  thousand  of 
our  parochial  school  children,  dressed  in  spotless 
white.  To  the  right  were  the  girl  graduates  support- 
ing the  immense  Service  Flag  ;  to  the  left,  the  boy 
graduates  holding  the  National  Emblem.  Around 
the  reviewing  stand  the  entire  reception  committee 
stood  at  attention.  The  whole  pageant  was  one  of 
the  most  impressive  ever  seen  in  Boston. 

When  the  stage  had  thus  been  set,  Father  Kenna 
addressed  the  immense  throng,  in  part,  as  follows  : 

"This  record  of  937*  boys  from  one  parish  has  not  to  my 
knowledge  been  surpassed  to  date.  We  have  every  reason, 
therefore,  to  be  proud  today.  .  .  . 

"Furthermore,  over  fifty  per  cent  of  these  boys  did  not 
wait  to  be  drafted  —  did  not  wait  until  their  names  were 
drawn.  The  moment  President  Wilson  decided  that  we  were 
to  enter  this  terrible  conflict,  over  half  of  these  boys  hurried 
to  enlist.  .  .  .  They  are  to  be  found  in  every  branch  of  the 
service — on  land,  on  sea,  and  in  the  air.  .  .  . 

"After  this  war,  then,  let  no  one  ever  dare  to  challenge  the 
patriotism  of  Catholics.  Catholics  are  loyal  to  their  flag  and 
to  their  country,  because  they  are  loyal  to  their  God  and  to 
their  Church." 


*  Although    the   flag   contained  only  937  stars,  the  number  of 
our  boys  in  the  service  at  the   time  it  was  raised  was  1,057. 


268       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

The  Lieutenant  Governor  spoke  on  the  meaning  of 
the  ceremony.  Mayor  Peters  congratulated  the  chil- 
dren on  their  beautiful  singing,  while  Congressman 
Tinkham  insisted  on  the  necessity  of  Religion  for 
good  citizenship.  General  Crozier,  exhorting  the 
people  to  make  greater  sacrifies,  warned  them  against 
overconfidence.  Admiral  Wood,  addressing  the 
mothers  of  the  boys  in  a  special  manner,  pointed  out 
to  them  how  great  was  their  honor.  They  were  to  be 
congratulated,  but  we,  who  were  not  privileged  to  go 
across,  were  to  be  pitied.  Judge  Ahern,  in  a  vigorous 
and  eloquent  speech,  lauded  the  patriotism  of  the 
Fathers  and  of  the  parishioners,  and  vouched  for  even 
nobler  sacrifices  on  their  part,  if  the  Nation  demanded 
them. 

After  the  various  addresses  the  Very  Rev.  Father 
Provincial,  amid  solemn  silence,  blessed  the  flag.  Both 
emblems  were  then  adjusted  to  the  rigging,  and,  under 
the  direction  of  Captain  Raby  of  the  Battleship  Mis- 
souri, the  flag  of  our  country  was  run  up  between  the 
towers  of  the  church  ;  then  Captain  Ziegemeier  of  the 
Battleship  Virginia  gave  the  command,  and  the 
sailors  raised  the  glorious  Service  Flag  to  a  position 
just  beneath  the  National  Emblem.  The  entire 
crowd  then  spontaneously  burst  into  that  grand  old 
anthem  that  thrills  every  true  American  heart,  "  The 
Star  Spangled  Banner."  The  display  of  patriotism 
was  highly  inspiriting. 

After  the  ceremonies  the  honored  guests  were 
escorted  into  the  church,  where,  amid  a  blaze  of 
splendor,  they  inspected  every  part  of  the  edifice, 
while  Professor  Fassnacht  entertained  them  with  an 
informal,  yet  beautiful,  organ  recital. 

It  was  the  unanimous  opinion  that  Sunday,  Sep- 
tember 8,  1918,  was  a  day  that  will  ever  stand  out 
in  bold  relief  in  the  history  of  the  Mission  Church 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  269 

Parish.  All  declared  themselves  amazed  at  the  pro- 
portions which  the  demonstration  had  assumed.  But 
surely  our  gallant  young  fellows,  the  defenders  of  our 
flag,  deserve  the  best  that  the  city,  the  State,  the 
Nation,  and  the  Church  can  give  them. 

During  the  terrible  days  of  the  awful  war,  sorrowful 
scenes  were  enacted  within  the  sacred  precincts  of  the 
parish,  when  so  many  of  our  finest  boys,  clean,  good- 
living,  upstanding  fellows,  at  the  threshold  of 
glorious  manhood,  bade  a  sad  farewell  to  home  and 
mother  and  went  forth  to  fight  and,  perhaps,  to  die 
"somewhere  in  France."  Through  long  months  of 
heartrending  anxiety,  the  silver-haired  mothers  of 
these  noble  lads  sighed  and  prayed  for  the  blessed 
hour  when  the  inane  and  insane  slaughter  would 
cease,  when  men  who  called  themselves  Christians 
would  awaken  to  a  sense  of  Christian  charity,  and 
when  their  own  dear  boys  would  return  again  to 
their  places  at  the  family  fireside.  Imagine,  then,  the 
overflowing  joy  that  greeted  the  long-hoped-for  news 
that  the  war  had  come  to  an  end.  At  5  A.  M.,  Novem- 
ber 11,  the  day  the  Armistice  was  signed,  Prof.  Fass- 
nacht  played  on  the  chimes  that  beautiful  hymn, 
"Holy  God,  We  Praise  Thy  Name."  The  people  at 
once  understood  the  "  good  tiding  of  great  joy  "  and, 
as  the  Judean  shepherds  in  the  olden  days,  hastened  to 
the  Crib  to  see  "  The  Word  that  had  come  to  pass," 
so,  too,  our  people  on  that  chill  November  morning 
hurried  along  the  streets  to  the  church  to  speak  the 
wprd  of  thanks  to  Our  Blessed  Mother,  the  Queen  of 
Peace,  for  having  stilled  the  din  and  roar  of  conflict. 
Buoyant  and  happy,  with  beaming  eyes  and  throbbing 
hearts,  they  came  down  from  Parker  Hill,  and  up 
from  Conant  Street,  and  over  from  Francis  Street,  to 
meet  at  the  focal  point  of  the  Mission  Church  Parish 
—  the  Shrine  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help. 


270       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

At  8  P.  M.,  Solemn  Te  Deum,  followed  by  Bene- 
diction of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  was  sung.  The 
church  was  packed.  A  company  of  soldier-boys 
assisted  in  the  sanctuary,  a  few  of  them  serving  as 
acolytes  and  censer-bearer ;  while  two  hundred  or  more 
had  places  specially  reserved  for  them  in  the  body  of 
the  church.  Every  light  in  the  great  temple  was 
turned  on,  and  the  mighty  organ  rolled  out  a  grand 
burst  of  harmony  like  that  which  floated  over  the  hills 
of  Bethlehem  when  the  Angels  first  sang  "Glory 
to  God  in  the  highest  and  on  earth  peace  to  men  of 
good  will." 

On  Saturday  evening,  June  28,  1919,  the  immortal 
President  of  the  Irish  Republic,  Eamon  De  Valera, 
arrived  at  the  rectory,  to  be  the  guest  of  the  Fathers. 
The  following  morning  he  received  Holy  Communion 
at  the  9  o'clock  Mass,  which  was  celebrated  by  his 
half-brother,  the  Rev.  Thomas  Wheelwright, 
C.  SS.  R.,  of  the  Mission  Church.  As  the  President's 
coming  had  previously  been  announced,  a  tremendous 
crowd  was  on  hand  to  greet  him  ;  when  his  automo- 
bile approached  the  church,  a  deafening  cheer  arose, 
and  hundreds  tried  to  push  forward  and  shake  his 
hand.  President  De  Valera  knelt  on  a  prie-dieu  at 
the  head  of  the  middle  aisle,  near  the  sanctuary  rail. 
The  officials  who  accompanied  him,  among  whom  were 
Mayor  Quinn  of  Cambridge,  and  President  Ford  of 
the  Cambridge  City  Council,  occupied  the  front  pews. 
The  Rev.  Father  Kenna,  in  greeting  the  illustrious 
Irish  patriot,  said : 

"A  cordial  welcome  to  our  honored  guest  pours  forth  from 
the  hearts  of  our  community  and  all  its  people  on  this  mem- 
orable occasion.  We  thank  him  for  honoring  this  church 
by  selecting  it  to  assist  at  the  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  ^assure 
him  that  the  congregation  of  np  other  church  in  the  United 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  271 

States  is  more  solidly  behind  Him  and  the  cause  which  he 
represents  than  the  congregation  of  the  Mission  Church." 

As  the  President  with  his  party  was  leaving  the 
church,  the  congregation  rose  as  a  tribute  of  respect. 
He  was  then  conducted  to  the  rectory,  where  breakfast 
was  served.  Among  others  present,  were  the  Rev. 
Philip  O'Donnell,  pastor  of  St.  James's  Church,  Bos- 
ton; the  Rev.  Michael  J.  Doody,  pastor  of  St.  Mary's, 
Cambridge  ;  Judge  Timothy  Ahern,  of  the  Roxbury 
Court ;  Representative  Dennis  Reardon,  and  Sena- 
tor Edward  F.  McLaughlin. 

In  the  afternoon  President  De  Valera  addressed  a 
crowd  of  nearly  60,000  in  Fenway  Park.  The  Mission 
Church  was  represented  by  2,000  men,  headed  by  the 
Field  Band  and  the  Fathers. 

On  the  same  day  the  Rev.  John  O'Connor  sang  his 
First  Mass.  Father  Lynch  was  deacon  and  preacher ; 
the  Rev.  Mr.  William  O'Connor  of  St.  John's  Sem- 
inary, Brighton,  a  brother  of  the  celebrant,  was  sub- 
deacon.  Father  O'Connor  was  ordained  June  14,  by 
the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Hanna  of  San  Francisco 
at  the  Cathedral  of  that  city.  On  July  27,  the  Rt. 
Rev.  Edmund  F.  Gibbons,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  Albany, 
N.  Y.,  ordained  to  the  priesthood  at  Esopus,  N.  Y., 
twelve  Redemptorist  clerics,  of  whom  three  were  from 
the  Mission  Church  Parish :  The  Rev.  Thomas  Laps- 
ley,  the  Rev.  John  Prendergast,  and  the  Rev.  Nicho- 
las Hayden.  On  August  3,  Fathers  Lapsley  and 
Prendergast  sang  their  First  Mass.  At  Father  Laps- 
ley's  Mass  Father  McDonnell  was  deacon  and 
preacher,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  William  O'Connor,  sub- 
deacon.  At  Father  Prendergast's  Mass  Father 
Lynch  was  deacon  and  preacher,  and  the  Rev.  Mr. 
William  O'Connor,  subdeacon.  On  the  following 
Sunday,  August  10,  the  Rev.  Nicholas  Hayden, 


272       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON] 

C.  SS.  R.,  celebrated  his  First  Mass.  He  was  assisted 
by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Tobin,  C.  SS.R.,  as  deacon;  and 
the  Rev.  Mr.  William  O'Connor,  as  subdeacon. 
Father  Tobin  was  the  preacher  also. 

On  Sunday,  September  28,  a  four  weeks'  mission 
began.  The  exercises  were  conducted  by  the  Rev.  Re- 
demptorist  Fathers  Joseph  O'Reilly,  Albert  Schmer^ 
ing,  Augustine  Smith,  and  Thomas  O'Reilly.  The 
old  fervor  and  enthusiasm  again  prevailed.  The 
crowds  were  larger  than  ever  before,  and  proved  con- 
clusively that  the  same  beautiful  spirit  of  faith  that 
animated  the  people  forty  years  ago,  still  dominated 
their  souls.  The  grand  total  of  confessions  was 
10,106. 

In  January,  1920,  the  Mission  Church  entered  on 
the  fiftieth  year  of  its  existence,  and  just  Over  the 
hills  were  heard  the  merry  golden  jubilee  bells.  Back 
over  the  wide  stretch  of  nearly  half  a  century,  came 
the  sweet  memories  of  that  beautiful  May  day  in  1871, 
when  the  wonder-working  Picture  of  the  Mother  of 
Perpetual  Help  was  first  enthroned  in  the  church. 
How  inexpressibly  dear  to  our  people  was  not  that 
noble  temple  which  for  almost  five  decades  had  been 
singing  "  The  Glories  of  Mary  in  Boston  ! "  But  in 
the  rush  and  crush  of  the  years,  the  interior  of  the 
edifice  had  fallen  from  that  splendor  to  which  Father 
Frawley  had  raised  it  in  1896.  This  will  not  surprise 
us  if  we  consider  the  wear  and  tear  to  which  a  church 
like  ours  is  necessarily  subjected  in  the  course  of 
twenty-five  years.  Extensive  improvements  were, 
therefore,  required.  In  the  first  place,  the  church  had 
to  be  replastered  and  redecorated,  especially  because 
Roxbury  pudding-stone,  of  which  it  is  built,  is 
extremely  porous;  consequently  the  dampness  and 
even  the  rain  penetrated,  and,  settling  on  the  inner 
wall,  destroyed  the  decorations;  secondly,  new 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  273 

wainscoting,  a  new  flooring,  and  new  frames  for 
the  Stations  of  the  Cross  were  necessary;  and,  thirdly, 
it  was  fitting  that  three  new  altars  should  be  erected : 
two,  to  replace  those  of  the  Holy  Family  and  of  St. 
Patrick,  and  a  Purgatorial  altar  —  an  additional 
feature  in  the  church  —  to  stimulate  devotion  to  the 
Holy  Souls. 

In  order  to  defray  the  expense  entailed  by  this 
scheme  of  renovation,  Father  Kenna  inaugurated,  on 
January  18,  a  jubilee-drive,  urgently  requesting  every 
wage-earner  in  the  parish  to  contribute  one  week's 
salary  within  six  months.  He  met  with  a  prompt, 
hearty  and  generous  response.  As  it  was  in  1872,  so 
it  was  in  1920  :  the  devoted  people  gave  of  their  hard- 
earned  savings  with  a  good  will  that  was  beyond  all 
praise.  Many  contributed  far  more  than  the  required 
amount ;  those  who  gave  the  prescribed  sum  expressed 
regret  that  they  could  not  give  more,  and  promised 
to  do  so  at  a  later  date,  if  circumstances  allowed  —  a 
promise  which  most  of  them  redeemed.  Preach  it 
from  the  pulpit,  teach  it  in  the  classroom,  write  it 
across  the  skies:  the  old  love  for  our  Lady  of  Perpe- 
tual Help  still  burns  brightly  in  the  hearts  of  the 
people  of  the  Mission  Church  Parish. 

On  June  6,  the  Rev.  William  O'Connor  sang  his 
First  Mass.  His  brother,  the  Rev.  John  O'Connor,  was 
deacon;  and  the  Rev.  John  Shaughnessy,  C.  SS.R., 
subdeacon.  The  preacher  was  the  Rev.  Andrew 
Gunning,  C.  SS.R.  Father  William  O'Connor  was 
ordained  June  3,  at  the  Cathedral  of  the  Holy  Cross, 
Boston,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Anderson.  On  June 
20,  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Hayes  of  New  York 
ordained  to  the  priesthood  at  Esopus,  fifteen  Redemp- 
torist  students,  of  whom  five,  happy  to  say,  were 
products  of  the  Mission  Church  Parish  :  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Cronin,  the  Rev,  Francis  Walsh,  the  Rev.  Jo- 


274       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

seph  Daley,  the  Rev.  Joseph  Fitzsimmons,  and  the 
Rev.  Albert  Waible.  The  following  Sunday,  the 
27th,  the  Rev.  Fathers  Walsh  and  Cronin  offered  up 
their  First  Mass.  At  Father  Walsh's  Mass  the  Rev. 
George  Schneider,  C.  SS.R.,  was  deacon;  the  Rev. 
John  Shaughnessy,  C.  SS.R.,  subdeacon;  and  the 
Rev.  Eugene  Mulheran,  C.  SS.R.,  archpriest  and 
preacher.  At  Father  Cronin's  Mass,  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Edmund  Moran,  a  seminarian  who  had  shortly  before 
received  the  diaconate,  was  deacon;  the  Rev.  John 
Shaughnessy,  C.  SS.R.,  subdeacon;  and  the  Rev. 
Joseph  Leddy,  C.  SS.  R.,  archpriest  and  preacher. 
On  July  4,  the  Rev.  Joseph  Daley  and  the  Rev. 
Albert  Waible  sang  their  First  Solemn  Mass.  Father 
Daley  was  assisted  by  the  Rev.  Augustine  Duke, 
C.  SS.  R.,  Prefect  of  Students  at  the  Redemptorist 
Seminary,  Esopus,  N.  Y.,  as  deacon;  and  the  Rev. 
William  Treanor,  C.  SS.  R.,  as  subdeacon.  The  Rev. 
John  Shaughnessy,  C.  SS.  R.,  was  archpriest  and 
preacher.  At  Father  Waible's  Mass  the  Rev. 
Timothy  McDonnell,  C.  SS.  R.,  was  deacon;  the  Rev. 
Paul  Dugal,  C.  SS.R.,  subdeacon;  and  the  Rev. 
Augustine  Duke,  archpriest  and  preacher.  The  fol- 
lowing Sunday,  July  11,  the  Rev.  Joseph  Fitzsimmons 
celebrated  his  First  Solemn  Mass;  the  Rev.  Augus- 
tine Duke,  C.  SS.  R.,  was  deacon;  the  Rev.  John  Con- 
way,  C.  SS.  R.,  subdeacon;  and  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Wheelwright,  C.  SS.R.,  archpriest  and  preacher. 

The  Novena  to  the  Mother  of  Perpetual  Help, 
which  opened  June  11,  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Al- 
bert Schmering,  C.  SS.R.,  of  St.  Clement's  College, 
Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y.  The  crowds  that  came  to 
the  exercises  were  so  great  that  it  was  impossible  to 
get  a  seat  unless  one  arrived  at  least  three-quarters  of 
an  hour  before  the  services  began.  Although  there 
was  a  pronounced  spell  of  hot  weather  at  the  time, 
there  was  no  falling  off  in  the  attendance  ;  on  the 


B 
U 


INTERIOR  OF  CHURCH  SHOWING  ORGAN 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  275 

contrary,  there  was  a  steady  increase  from  night  to 
night;  and  over  all  reigned  the  gentle  and  gracious 
influence  of  true  devotion  to  the  peerless  Lady 
of  Perpetual  Help. 

On  November  14,  a  public  event,  in  which  the  Mis- 
sion Church  figured  prominently,  took  place  :  eight 
squares,  five  of  which  were  within  the  parish  limits, 
were  dedicated  in  memory  of  fallen  World  War 
heroes.  The  exercises  were  conducted  under  the 
auspices  of  Mission  Hill  Post,  American  Legion  of 
Honor,  with  local  organizations  in  the  district  par- 
ticipating. 

About  1 : 30  P.  M.,  the  parade,  composed  of  about 
1,000  men,  assembled  at  the  Mission  Hill  Playgrounds 
and,  led  by  mounted  police  under  the  command  of 
Sergt.  Comerford,  proceeded,  to  the  martial  strains  of 
the  Mission  Church  Field  Band,  along  Tremont 
Street  to  the  junction  of  Huntington  Avenue,  where 
the  Francis  S.  Hanlon  Square  was  dedicated.  Com- 
mander John  J.  Riley  presented  the  mother  of  the 
brave  young  man  with  the  official  document  recount- 
ing the  services  of  her  son,  and  with  the  quill  with 
which  the  order  naming  the  square  had  been  signed. 
After  Mrs.  Hanlon  had  responded  feelingly,  Comrade 
Thomas  J.  Buckley  placed  a  wreath  on  the  sign.  The 
Rev.  Thomas  J.  Gilhooly,  C.  SS.R.,  of  the  Mission 
Church,  pronounced  the  invocation  and  delivered  a 
patriotic  address  which  was  favorably  received. 

Then  followed  the  dedication  of  the  Edward  M. 
Dolan  Square,  at  Ward  Street  and  Huntington 
Avenue  ;  the  Andrew  F.  Hayes  Square,  at  Tremont 
and  Parker  Streets  ;  the  Bernard  T.  Fitzsimmons 
Square,  at  Calumet  and  St.  Alphonsus  Streets;  and 
the  Joseph  J.  Fallon  Square,  at  Calumet  and  Darling 
Streets.  The  squares  were  accepted  on  behalf  of  the 
city  by  Corporation  Counsel  Arthur  D.  Hill.  At 
each  square  volleys  were  fired  and  taps  sounded. 


276       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

The  first  golden  cycle  of  the  Mission  Church's  ex- 
istence was  brought  to  a  close  with  a  four  weeks' 
parish  retreat,  which  began  on  November  21,  the  Feast 
of  the  Presentation  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  Owing  to 
the  unsettled  condition  of  the  upper  church,  all  the 
exercises  were  held  in  St.  Gerard's  Chapel.  In  all 
respects  the  retreat  was  most  gratifying,  but  the  most 
encouraging  feature  was  the  admirable  spirit  shown 
by  the  young  men.  In  spite  of  difficulties  and  hin- 
drances they  turned  out  nobly,  and  at  the  close  of 
their  retreat  the  membership  of  the  Single  Men's 
Division  of  the  Holy  Family  Association  was  doubled. 
At  this  writing  the  good  spirit  then  manifested  still 
continues  —  bright  omen  of  future  triumph  and  glory. 

At  the  close  of  the  jubilee  year  the  members  of  the 
community  were  :  The  Rev.  Fathers  William  B. 
Kenna,  Rector ;  James  J.  Lynch,  vice-Rector ; 
Augustine  Dooper,  Andrew  Gunning,  Eugene  Mul- 
heran,  Louis  J.  Vollmer,  Daniel  Collins,  John  Con- 
way,  Joseph  P.  Turner,  Albert  Schmering,  Timothy 
McDonnell,  Paul  Dugal,  Thomas  J.  Gilhooly, 
George  Schneider,  Joseph  Leddy,  John  Shaughnessy, 
and  Thomas  Wheelwright ;  and  Brothers  Silverius, 
Lambert,  Alphonsus,  and  Hubert. 

The  names  of  the  parishioners  were — they  are 
written,  let  us  hope,  in  the  maternal  heart  of  Our 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help.  May  She  ever  guide  and 
guard  them  till  their  day  is  done,  till  their  race  is  run, 
till  their  crown  is  won ;  till  they  enter,  amid  the  glad- 
some chants  of  angels,  beyond  the  Gate  of  Heaven, 
to  rest  forever  at  the  feet  of  Mary,  the  Mother  of 
Jesus ! 


THE  GROWING  SPLENDOR  27? 

Maria,  men  and  Angels  sing, 
Maria,  Mother  of  our  King, 
Live,  rarest  Princess !  and  O,  may  the  bright , 
Crown  of  a  most  incomparable  light, 
Embrace  thy  radiant  brows !    O,  may  the  best 
Of  everlasting  joys  bathe  thy  white  breast  ! 
Live,  our  Chaste  Love,  the  Holy  Mirth 
Of  Heaven,  and  humble  pride  of  earth! 
Live,  Crown  of  Women,  Queen  of  Men : 
Live,  Mistress  of  our  Songs;  and  when 
Our  weak  desires  have  done  their  best, 
Sweet  Angels,  come  and  sing  the  rest ! 

— Richard  Crashaw. 


Part  Second 
Special  Topics 


THE  SHRINE. 

"  Holy  Mary,  be  thou  help  to  the  helpless,  courage 
to  the  fearful,  comfort  to  the  sorrowful." — General 
Office  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary. 

The  fountainhead,  whence  spring  "  The  Glories  of 
Mary  in  Boston,"  is  the  Sacred  Image  of  Our  Lady 
of  Perpetual  Help,  which  is  an  exact  copy  of  the 
original,  in  the  Church  of  Saint  Alphonsus  on 
the  Via  Merulana  in  Rome.  There  is  hardly  any 
other  miraculous  picture  in  existence  which  can  boast 
of  so  glorious  a  history  as  that  of  Our  Lady  of  Per- 
petual Help,  and  probably  no  other  to  which  such 
profound  and  widespread  veneration  has  been  paid. 
We  consider  it,  therefore,  a  sacred  duty  to  give  the 
history  of  the  world-famous  image,  which  has  been 
the  instrument  of  grace  to  so  many  millions  of  afflicted 
mankind. 

There  are  writers  who  claim  that  the  original  picture 
of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  was  painted  by  the 
Evangelist  St.  Luke,  thus  giving  it  an  antiquity  of 
almost  1,900  years.  This  opinion,  however,  as  far  as 
we  can  ascertain,  rests  on  no  solid  ground,  as  all  the 
evidence  available  goes  to  show  that  it  was  painted, 
not  by  St.  Luke,  but  by  some  Greek  artist  of  the  thir- 
teenth century.  But  whatever  may  have  been  the 
origin  of  the  picture,  it  is  an  historical  fact  that  it  was 
held  in  the  greatest  honor  more  than  400  years  ago  by 
a  certain  wealthy  merchant,  who  lived  in  Crete,  now 
called  Candia,  an  island  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea. 

During  the  last  decade  of  the  15th  century,  when 
the  Turks  were  bent  on  devasting  the  southern  coun- 


tries  of  Europe,  this  island  was  in  imminent  danger 
of  being  overrun  by  the  enemy.  Thereupon  many  of 
the  inhabitants,  keenly  dreading  the  dire  consequences 
of  Turkish  hate  and  violence,  determined  to  seek 
safety  in  flight  from  their  native  land.  At  least  one 
band  of  fugitives,  among  whom  was  the  pious  mer- 
chant, set  sail  for  Italy. 

With  tear-bedimmed  eyes  and  heavy  hearts,  they 
saw  their  beloved  island  fade  from  their  view  ;  but 
undismayed,  they  turned  confidently  and  hopefully 
towards  the  country  where  they  had  begun  to  center 
their  interests  and  affections.  For  some  days  their 
vessel  glided  calmly  over  the  placid  waters,  but,  at 
length  a  terrible  storm  arose.  The  lowering  clouds 
rushed  upon  them  in  huge  black  battalions  ;  the  wild 
winds  shrieked  their  mad  fury  round  the  plunging, 
heaving  craft ;  the  waves,  rising  mountain  high, 
dashed  over  the  ship  in  seething  onslaught  and  savage 
rage.  The  poor  exiles  were  frantic  with  fear.  All 
was  dark.  All  seemed  hopeless.  At  every  moment 
they  expected  to  sink  into  a  watery  grave. 

But  among  the  imperilled  Cretans  there  was  one, 
who,  like  Christ  in  the  tempest-tossed  bark  of  Peter, 
was  serene  and  fearless.  While  the  waves  were  roar- 
ing, the  winds  howling,  and  the  terror-stricken  pas- 
sengers giving  themselves  up  to  despair,  a  certain  man 
was  seen  going  to  his  cabin.  His  tread  was  firm,  his 
nerves  steady,  his  head  erect,  and  his  spirit  undaunted. 
In  a  few  moments  he  appeared  again,  cool,  self-pos- 
sessed and  courageous.  Who  was  this  extraordinary 
man  who  rose  so  majestically  above  the  engulfing 
danger  ?  He  was  the  devout  merchant,  the  ardent 
lover  of  Her  who  is  our  Refuge  in  the  storm.  See  I 
he  bears  in  his  hands  the  image  of  his  Beloved  Lady. 
Raising  heavenward  the  picture  of  the  Mother  of 
Perpetual  Help,  he  exclaims  with  the  deepest  emo- 


THE  SHRINE  283 

tion,  "  Behold  the  Star  of  the  Sea  !  Let  us  all  invoke 
Her  !  She  will  deliver  us  1 "  His  noble  and  inspiring 
words  buoy  up  with  hope  the  sinking  hearts  of  his 
hearers.  In  an  instant  all  are  on  their  knees  before 
the  Image  of  the  Blessed  Mother  of  God.  Their 
earnest,  fervent  cry,  "  Save  us  ;  O  Mother  of  Per- 
petual Help  !  Save  us,  we  perish  I "  is  heard  above 
the  raging  storm,  aye,  it  is  heard  in  the  highest  halls 
of  Heaven  where  Mary  sits  enthroned.  At  once  She 
turns  her  motherly  eyes  towards  her  suppliant  chil- 
dren: She  commands,  as  did  her  Son  in  the  olden 
days,  the  tumultuous  waves  of  the  sea,  and  —  there 
comes  a  great  calm.  This  is  the  first  instance  recorded 
in  history  of  the  public  invocation  of  the  Blessed  Vir- 
gin under  the  touching  title  of  Mother  of  Perpetual 
Help.  This  was  the  first  link  in  that  mighty  chain  of 
Mary's  favors  which  has  girded  the  world  a  thousand 
times  round. 

The  "  Star  of  the  Sea,"  the  "Mother  of  Perpetual 
Help,"  conducted  the  exiles  in  safety  to  the  river 
Tiber.  The  merchant  disembarked  at  Ostia,  whence 
he  proceeded  to  Rome,  bringing  his  precious  posses- 
sion with  him.  This  is,  in  brief,  the  story  of  how  the 
picture  found  its  way  to  Rome,  where  it  has  ever  since 
remained. 

But  the  pious  Cretan  was  not  destined  to  live 
long  in  the  Eternal  City,  for  soon  after  his  arrival 
he  became  fatally  ill.  On  seeing  death  approach  he 
resolved  to  dispose  of  the  picture,  which  was  in  deed 
and  truth  his  greatest  treasure.  Our  Blessed  Mother 
had  made  it  the  means  of  such  a  signal  favor  that  he 
was  firmly  convinced  that  she  had  extraordinary  de- 
signs in  its  regard,  and  that  it  was  destined  to  be  a 
vehicle  of  mercy  to  sin-laden  and  suffering  mankind. 
As  he  reflected  on  the  wonders  that  had  happened,  he 
began  to  feel  that  Divine  Providence  had  led  him  to 


284       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Rome  in  order  to  make  the  picture  of  Mary  known 
to  the  whole  world.  The  conviction  forced  itself  on 
his  mind  that  the  Blessed  Virgin  wanted  him  there, 
that  he  might  leave  her  image,  not  to  any  particular 
person,  but  to  the  whole  church,  of  which  Rome  was 
the  center.  Penetrated  with  this  thought  he  sum- 
moned to  his  bedside  the  man  in  whose  house  he  lay 
dying,  and  who  had  hitherto  been  his  faithful  friend. 
The  cherished  image  hung  from  the  wall  near  the  bed. 
and  the  eyes  of  the  pious  patient  were  feasting  lov- 
ingly on  it.  "I  have  always  dearly  prized  that  pic- 
ture," he  said  to  his  friend,  "  through  it  I  have  received 
many  graces  from  my  Mother  Mary;  and  now  that 
I  am  going  to  die,  I  seem  to  hear  Her  saying  to  me  : 
*  Leave  the  picture  to  the  Holy  Church  —  I  will  make 
it  the  medium  of  my  perpetual  succor  to  countless 
souls ! ' :  Then  turning  to  his  friend  the  merchant 
said :  "  It  is  the  will  of  the  Blessed  Mary,  and  it  is  my 
last  will,  that  my  picture  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 
Help,  shall  be  given  to  one  of  the  churches  in  this  city 
of  Rome.  I  now  ask  you  to  promise  me  solemnly  that, 
as  soon  as  I  am  gone,  you  will  faithfully  fulfil  this 
my  last  will."  His  friend  gave  the  solemn  promise. 

No  sooner  was  the  merchant  dead,  than  the  wife  of 
the  man  who  had  pledged  his  word,  removed  the  pic- 
ture to  her  own  room.  Her  husband  vigorously  pro- 
tested, and  in  earnest  words  told  her  of  the  sacred 
promise  he  had  made  to  his  dying  friend  to  have  the 
picture  presented  to  one  of  the  churches  of  the  city. 
She  merely  smiled  cynically,  and  paid  no  further 
attention  to  his  remonstrance.  Unfortunately, 
through  fear  he  allowed  her  to  keep  the  picture,  thus 
proving  false  and  faithless  to  his  word  of  honor.  Our 
Blessed  Mother  was  intensely  displeased  with  him, 
and,  appearing  to  him  in  a  vision,  said,  "  I  command 
you  to  keep  your  promise  to  my  dying  client."  But 


THE  SHRINE  285 

her  words  fell  on  deaf  ears,  for  this  weak  and  cowardly 
man  feared  his  wife  too  much  to  heed  the  words  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin.  A  second,  and  even  a  third  time,  Our 
Lady  appeared  to  him,  but  all  in  vain.  Seeing  him  so 
obstinate,  She  went  to  him  once  more  and,  in  unmis- 
takable tones,  threatened  him  with  chastisement, 
should  he  persist  in  his  sin:  "  If,"  She  said,  "  you  will 
not  let  my  picture  depart,  you  will  soon  have  to  go 
hence  yourself."  Even  this  dreadful  threat  failed  of 
its  purpose  —  and  a  few  days  later  the  obdurate  man 
died. 

It  is  hard  to  understand  the  perverse,  almost  dia- 
bolical attitude  of  the  woman  whose  husband  we  have 
just  seen  stricken  by  a  sudden  death.  Even  that 
tragic  event  did  not  induce  her  to  part  with  the  pic- 
ture; she  could  not,  or  rather  would  not  bring  her- 
self to  admit  that  his  death  was  a  punishment  of  his 
sin;  and,  therefore,  she  still  clung  tenaciously  to  the 
Sacred  Image.  But  Our  Blessed  Lady  was  just  as 
determined  that  her  will  and  that  of  the  Cretan  mer- 
chant should  be  executed;  hence  She  resorted  to  new 
expedients  of  a  wonderful  character. 

The  widow  had  a  daughter,  very  young  and  inno- 
cent, too  young  and  innocent  to  know  that  the  beauti- 
ful picture  of  Mary  in  her  mother's  room  did  not  be- 
long to  her.  One  day,  while  the  child  was  saying  the 
Hail  Mary  before  the  Sacred  Image,  the  Blessed 
Virgin  appeared  to  her.  "My  child,"  she  said,  "go 
tell  your  mother  that  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help 
wills  to  have  her  image  given  to  one  of  the  churches  of 
Rome."  The  little  child  ran  and  told  her  mother 
what  she  had  just  seen  and  heard.  Her  simple  story, 
taken  in  connection  with  all  that  had  previously  hap- 
pened, led  the  widow  to  think  that,  after  all,  it  might 
be  prudent  for  her  to  give  up  the  picture.  In  this  frame 
of  mind  she  sought  advice  from  another  woman,  a 


286       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

neighbor  of  hers.  The  latter  simply  said,  "How 
foolish  of  you  to  notice  the  prattling  of  an  infant ! 
Keep  your  picture  ! "  Very  soon  the  unhappy  crea- 
ture who  spoke  thus  had  reason  to  be  sorry  for  her 
words.  At  the  moment  she  gave  her  wicked  counsel, 
her  arm  became  frightfully  black  and  swollen,  and 
she  collapsed  in  an  agony  of  pain.  At  once  she  re- 
alized that  she  was  being  punished  for  what  she  had 
said,  and,  repenting  of  her  words,  begged  the  widow 
to  bring  her  the  picture.  It  was  brought  and  applied 
to  her  arm.  Instantly  the  swelling  disappeared,  all 
pain  ceased,  and  she  was  perfectly  cured. 

The  woman  who  had  obstinately  refused  to  part 
with  the  picture,  was  at  last  softened  and  subdued  by 
the  sudden  death  of  her  husband,  by  the  miracle 
wrought  in  favor  of  her  friend,  and  by  the  repeated 
warnings  of  Our  Blessed  Lady.  Once  for  all,  she 
determined  to  surrender  the  Sacred  Image. 

But  to  which  of  the  300  churches  in  Rome  was  it  to 
be  given  ?  To  the  Church  of  St.  Alphonsus  ?  No — 
for  St.  Alphonsus  was  not  born  till  200  years  later. 
Our  Blessed  Lady  herself  soon  pointed  out  the  church 
in  which  she  wished  to  receive  public  homage  in  Rome. 
Appearing  again  to  the  little  child,  She  said:  "Our 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  wills  to  be  publicly  honored 
between  St.  Mary  Major's  and  St.  John  Lateran's." 
Her  will  could  not  have  been  expressed  with  greater 
clearness.  Between  St.  Mary  Major's  and  St.  John 
Lateran's  there  was  only  one  road,  which  was  called 
Via  Merulana.  On  that  road  there  was  only  one  church 
—  that  of  St.  Matthew,  in  charge  of  the  Augustinian 
Fathers.  To  this  church,  therefore,  so  unmistakably 
determined  by  Our  Lady,  the  widow  took  the  picture 
and  offered  it  to  the  Prior,  at  the  same  time  telling 
him  its  past  history.  With  a  heart  full  of  gratitude 
to  Mary,  he  accepted  the  venerated  treasure,  and  at 


THE  SHRINE  287 

once  began  to  prepare  a  suitable  place  for  it  in  his 
church. 

On  March  27, 1499,  the  picture  was  borne  in  solemn 
procession  through  the  streets  of  Rome.  The  whole 
city  seemed  to  turn  out  to  honor  Mary,  who,  as  the 
joyful  train  passed  along,  marked  her  progress 
by  miracles.  We  shall  recount  only  one.  A  poor 
woman  had  long  suffered  from  paralysis  ;  one  side 
of  her  body,  especially  her  arm,  had  been  stiff  and 
motionless  for  years.  Hearing  of  the  miracle  wrought 
in  favor  of  the  woman  who  had  opposed  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  she  said,  "  If  the  Mother  of  God  cured  her, 
she  will  not  refuse  to  cure  me."  When  the  picture 
was  passing  the  place  where  she  was  standing,  she 
asked  the  bystanders  to  apply  it  to  her  arm.  Her  re- 
quest was  granted,  and  the  instant  she  felt  the  contact 
of  the  image,  she  was  perfectly  cured.  After  the  pro- 
cession the  picture  was  enthroned  above  the  high  altar 
in  St.  Matthew's  Church,  where  for  300  years  the 
loving  clients  of  Our  Blessed  Lady  honored  Her  by 
pilgrimages  and  costly  offerings.  There  She  dispensed 
her  choicest  favors  —  She  consoled  the  sorrowful,  en- 
couraged the  downcast,  gave  health  to  the  sick,  and 
obtained  pardon  for  the  sinner.  So  numerous  and 
striking  were  the  marvels  wrought  at  the  Shrine,  that 
the  picture  became  known  as  "the  very  miraculous 
image." 

But  alas  !  after  nearly  ten  generations  of  radiant 
glory  had  rolled  over  the  favored  sanctuary  of  Mary, 
a  long  night  of  gloomy  oblivion  set  in.  In  1812,  dur- 
ing the  occupation  of  Rome  by  the  French  army,  one 
of  the  invading  generals  gave  orders  that  the  Church 
of  St.  Matthew  should  be  demolished.  The  melan- 
choly result  was  that  the  Augustinian  Fathers  were 
compelled  to  retreat  to  the  Church  of  Saint  Mary  in 
Posterula.  But  what  became  of  the  picture  ?  In 


288       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

their  sad  flight  they  took  it  with  them,  but,  fearing 
that  sacrilegious  hands  might  be  laid  on  it,  they  no 
longer  exposed  it  to  the  veneration  of  the  faithful. 
Our  Blessed  Lady,  however,  never  ceased  to  guard  her 
sacred  treasure,  and  in  her  own  time  and  way  em- 
ployed suitable  means  to  restore  it  to  its  former  fame 
and  splendor. 

After  the  death  of  St.  Alphonsus  de  Ligouri,  at 
Nocera  de  Pagani,  in  1787,  his  successors,  the  Su- 
periors General  of  the  Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy 
Redeemer,  continued  to  live  there  until  1854,  when 
Pope  Pius  IX  ordered  them  to  transfer  the  mother 
house  to  Rome.  Pursuant  to  this  command,  the  Re- 
demptorists,  in  June  of  that  year,  purchased,  on  the 
Esquiline,  an  old  Roman  Palace  known  as  the  Villa 
Caserta,  which  they  transformed  into  a  monastery. 
Adjoining  the  residence  on  the  Via  Merulana,  they 
erected,  in  graceful  Gothic,  the  Church  of  St. 
Alphonsus.  Little  did  they  realize  at  the  time  that 
their  new  house  stood  almost  on  the  exact  site  of  the 
Church  of  St.  Matthew,  which  had  been  destroyed  in 
1812.  Indeed,  they  had  not  the  slightest  idea  that  any 
such  church  or  monastery  ever  existed,  nor  did  they 
learn  of  it  till  several  years  afterwards. 

One  day  in  January,  1863,  more  than  fifty  years 
after  the  French  army  had  reduced  St.  Matthew's  to 
a  heap  of  ruins,  one  of  the  Fathers,  during  the  even- 
ing recreation  at  the  Villa  Caserta,  told  his  compan- 
ions that  he  had  recently  read  that  where  they 
were  living,  there  had  once  stood  the  Church  of  St. 
Matthew,  famous  for  a  miraculous  picture  called 
"  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,"  which  had  long  ago 
been  lost,  if  not  destroyed.  This  remark  might  not 
have  led  to  further  results,  but  for  Father  Michael 
Marchi,  a  Roman,  who  joined  the  Redemptorists, 
when  a  young  man,  in  1855.  He  had  never  seen  St. 


THE  SHRINE  289 

Matthew's,  and  until  then  had  no  idea  of  its  former 
location,  but  had  heard  about  it  and  had  even  seen 
the  celebrated  picture  of  which  the  other  Father  spoke. 
Father  Marchi  then  related  that  as  a  little  boy, 
he  was  accustomed  to  frequent  the  Augustinian  Mon- 
astery of  St.  Mary  in  Posterula,  where  he  became  in- 
timate with  one  of  the  lay  brothers,  a  very  old  man 
named  Brother  Orsetti,  who  died  in  1853.  This  ven- 
erable religious  lived  at  St.  Matthew's  up  to  the  very 
day  on  which  it  was  destroyed  by  the  French.  He 
never  told  Michael  Marchi  of  the  site  on  which  it  had 
stood,  but  often  spoke  of  its  glories  and  of  the  wonder- 
ful picture  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  which  had 
been  venerated  there  for  300  years.  "  He  used  often 
to  take  me  upstairs,"  said  Father  Michael,  "  and  when 
we  were  in  the  oratory,  he  used  to  get  me  to  pray 
before  the  beautiful  image  hanging  on  the  wall. 
'Michael,'  he  would  say,  'that  is  the  picture  of  Our 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  which  was  formerly  in  such 
honor  in  St.  Matthew's.  When  that  church  was  de- 
stroyed we  brought  the  picture  here  with  us."  And 
then  the  old  man,  as  if  divining  that  the  picture  would 
again  be  restored  to  its  former  glory  and  that  Marchi 
would  have  some  part  in  the  restoration,  was  wont  to 
repeat  again  and  again :  "  Michael !  remember  the 
picture  we  venerated  in  St.  Matthew's.  That  is  the 
picture." 

This  story  was  highly  interesting  to  the  Redemp- 
torist  Fathers  ;  but  as  Brother  Orsetti  had  not  told 
Father  Marchi  of  the  last  will  of  the  Cretan  merchant, 
or  of  the  command  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  that  the  pic- 
ture should  be  publicly  honored  in  a  church  between 
St.  Mary  Major's  and  St.  John  Lateran's,  there  was 
nothing  in  what  Father  Marchi  said  to  show  that  Our 
Lady  now  willed  to  come  forth  from  her  hiding-place, 
and  to  take  up  her  dwelling  in  the  Church  of  St. 


290       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Alphonsus.  Yet  such  was  indeed  her  will;  and  the 
Fathers  were  soon  apprised  of  it. 

In  February,  1863,  Father  Blosi,  S.J.,  preached  at 
one  of  the  churches  in  Rome.  The  subject  of  his 
discourse  was  the  long-lost  picture  of  Our  Lady  of 
Perpetual  Help.  He  described  it  as  an  image  for- 
merly very  famous  in  the  city,  but  then  utterly  un- 
known. He  told  his  hearers  how,  hundreds  of  years 
before,  the  Blessed  Virgin  had  positively  commanded 
that  this  picture  should  be  publicly  honored  in  a  church 
between  St.  Mary  Major's  and  St.  John  Lateran's, 
and  he  begged  them  to  make  this  fact  everywhere 
known,  so  that  whoever  might  have  the  picture  in  his 
keeping,  might  fulfil  the  behest  of  Our  Lady;  thus 
would  the  Sacred  Image  regain  its  former  fame  and 
glory.  "  Who  knows,"  he  exclaimed,  "  what  blessings 
may  come  down  on  the  world  from  the  revival  of  de- 
votion to  Mary,  under  the  chosen  title  of  '  Mother  of 
Perpetual  Help!' 

This  sermon  pointed  clearly  enough  to  St.  Alphon- 
sus' Church  as  the  future  home  of  Our  Lady  of  Per- 
petual Help,  and  for  two  years  the  community  of 
Villa  Caserta  offered  fervent  prayers  to  the  Blessed 
Virgin  that  if  it  was  her  will  to  choose  their  church  for 
her  abode,  She  might  take  the  proper  steps  to  accom- 
plish her  purpose.  To  their  devout  supplications  She 
turned  a  willing  and  gracious  ear. 

On  December  11,  1865,  the  Most  Rev.  Nicholas 
Mauron,  Superior  General  of  the  Redemptorists,  was 
received  in  private  audience  by  Pope  Pius  IX.  After 
relating  to  His  Holiness  the  history  of  the  picture, 
especially  during  its  three  hundred  years  at  St.  Mat- 
thew's, and  the  plain  mandate  of  Our  Blessed  Lady 
concerning  its  place  of  exposition,  Father  Mauron 
explained  that  St.  Alphonsus'  Church  stood  on  the 
old  site  of  her  glories,  and  that  the  story  of  Father 


THE  SHRINE  291 

Marchi  and  the  sermon  of  Father  Blosi  seemed  to 
point  to  it  as  the  spot  chosen  by  Her. 

The  Pope,  deeply  impressed  by  what  Father  Mau- 
ron  had  told  him  and  remembering  that  as  a  boy  he 
had  prayed  before  the  Sacred  Image  at  St.  Matthew's, 
kindly  acceded  to  the  petition  of  the  Superior  General, 
and  dictated  the  following  order: 

December  11,  1865 — The  Cardinal  Prefect  of  the  Propa- 
ganda will  send  for  the  Superior  of  the  Community  of  Sancta 
Maria  in  Posterula  and  tell  him  that  it  is  our  wish  that  the 
picture  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  mentioned  in  the  peti- 
tion, should  be  again  placed  between  the  Churches  of  St. 
John  and  St.  Mary  Major,  and  the  Father  Superior  of  the 
Redemptorists  shall  replace  it  by  some  other  picture. 

Pius  PP.  IX. 

On  January  19,  1866,  two  Redemptorist  Fathers 
went  to  the  Convent  of  Saint  Mary  in  Posterula  and 
procured  the  picture  from  the  Superior.  It  was  then 
kept  in  the  oratory  of  the  Redemptorists  until  April 
26,  when  it  was  translated  with  solemn  ceremonies  to 
the  Church  of  St.  Alphonsus.  A  magnificent  proces- 
sion of  the  clergy  and  of  the  people  of  Rome  accom- 
panied the  Sacred  Image  through  the  streets,  the  de- 
vout clients  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  praising 
Her  for  deigning  once  more  to  dwell  publicly  in  their 
city.  As  the  picture  moved  along  on  its  triumphal 
march,  Mary  looked  down  from  Heaven  on  her  loving 
children  and  scattered  favors  on  them  with  a  lavish 
hand.  "  Sweet  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  cure  my 
little  son,"  was  the  pathetic  cry  of  one  poor  woman 
whose  boy  was  dying  of  fever.  Our  Blessed  Mother 
heard  the  cry,  and  instantly  the  little  child  arose  in 
perfect  health.  "Mother  of  Perpetual  Help,  have 
pity  on  me  ;  my  little  daughter  of  eight  has  been 
paralyzed  and  unable  to  move  for  the  last  four  years," 
was  the  fervent  prayer  of  another.  Mary  touched 


292       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

with  pity  heard  the  petition,  and  the  child  began  to 
walk.  Thus  the  picture  of  Our  Dear  Lady  fairly 
radiated  miracles,  as  it  was  borne  through  the  streets 
of  Rome  to  her  beloved  sanctuary  in  St.  Alphonsus' 
on  the  Via  Merulana. 

The  following  day  a  Solemn  Triduum  of  Thanks- 
giving was  opened,  which  was  to  serve  incidentally  as 
a  prelude  to  the  month  of  May,  which  is  specially 
dedicated  to  the  Blessed  Virgin.  So  vast  was  the 
crowd  of  worshippers  who  had  recourse  to  the  new 
sanctuary  of  Our  Lady,  that  it  was  confidently  as- 
serted that  within  the  next  five  weeks  everyone  in 
Home  had  visited  the  Sacred  Image.  Pius  IX,  hear- 
ing of  the  wonders  wrought,  came  to  her  chosen 
Shrine.  "  I  have  heard,"  said  he,  "  that  She  performs 
prodigies,  She  will  not  refuse  to  succor  the  poor  Pope." 

So  astounding  were  the  miracles  wrought  by  Our 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  that  the  Holy  See  decreed 
a  new  honor  for  her  Sacred  Image.  The  reader  may 
have  seen  a  picture  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help 
without  a  crown  on  her  head  or  on  the  head  of  Jesus. 
Such  pictures  show  him  what  the  original  was  like 
until  June  23,  1867;  but  on  that  blessed  day,  which 
was  the  Sunday  just  before  the  Feast  of  St.  John 
Baptist,  two  golden  crowns  were  solemnly  placed  on 
the  head  of  Jesus  and  of  Mary  by  the  Dean  of  the 
Vatican  Chapter,  in  presence  of  Bishops  and  priests 
from  all  parts  of  the  world,  who  had  assembled  at 
Rome  for  the  Eighteenth  Centenary  of  the  Martyr- 
dom of  Saints  Peter  and  Paul.  These  two  crowns  are 
the  Church's  seal  on  the  Sacred  Picture,  and  are  the 
strongest  proof  possible  that  it  is  in  the  full  sense  of 
the  term  a  "  very  miraculous  image." 

The  great  Pope  of  Mary  Immaculate  cultivated  a 
special  devotion  to  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help.  He 
obtained  a  facsimile  of  the  picture,  for  use  in  his 


THE  SHRINE  293 

private  oratory  ;  this  was  the  first  of  its  kind  ever 
painted.  Later  on,  in  the  year  1876,  when  the  devo- 
tion had  become  better  known,  His  Holiness  estab- 
lished the  Feast  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  and, 
in  memory  of  the  Coronation,  ordered  it  to  be  cele- 
brated every  year  as  a  double  of  the  second-class  with 
special  Office  and  Mass,  on  the  Sunday  immediately 
preceding  the  Feast  of  St.  John  Baptist.  At  the 
same  time  he  erected  "  The  Archconfraternity  of  Our 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  and  of  St.  Alphonsus,"  of 
which  he  had  himself  enrolled  as  the  first  member.  In 
1913,  the  Feast  was  raised  to  a  double  of  the  first-class, 
and  affixed  to  June  27.  At  present,  however,  it  is 
celebrated,  as  in  former  years,  on  the  Sunday  imme- 
diately preceding  the  Feast  of  St.  John  Baptist. 


Description  of  the  Picture. 

The  world-famous  picture  is  one  of  the  most  curious 
and  interesting  Madonnas  bequeathed  to  us  by  the 
ancient  masters.  It  is  florid  in  color  and  manner, 
painted  in  distemper  and  executed  in  the  Byzantine 
style  of  the  thirteenth  or  fourteenth  century.  The 
picture  is  twenty  by  fifteen  inches,  on  a  golden  back- 
ground twenty-two  by  eighteen  inches.  Our  Blessed 
Lady  is  represented  in  half -figure  ;  the  Child  Jesus, 
in  full  figure.  She  holds  Him  on  her  left  arm,  while 
with  her  right  hand  She  affectionately  presses  His  two 
hands  to  her  breast.  Her  mantle  is  red,  with  folds 
defined  by  golden  lines  ;  her  veil  is  dark  blue  with 
gold  border.  The  Divine  Child  is  clad  in  a  garment 
of  green,  gathered  together  with  a  girdle  of  carmine 
red  and  partially  covered  with  a  mantle  of  dark  yel- 
low. Surrounding  the  head  of  the  Blessed  Mother  is 
a  halo  on  which  rests  a  golden  crown  begemmed  with 


294       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

precious  stones.  The  head  of  the  Child  Jesus,  too,  is 
adorned  in  like  manner.  The  Archangels  Michael 
and  Gabriel,  in  half -figure,  are  also  portrayed  on  the 
picture.  At  five  different  places  on  the  Sacred  Image, 
one  notices  groups  of  Greek  capital  letters,  directly 
above  which  are  certain  marks  or  strokes  indicating 
that  the  letters  are  abbreviations.  Above  the  left 
shoulder  and  near  the  face  of  the  Holy  Child,  are  four 
Greek  characters  "  Is.Xs.",  which  signify  "Jesus 
Christ."  Near  the  top  of  the  picture,  to  the  left,  are 
the  letters  "  MP,"  which  stand  for  "  Mother"  ;  to  the 
right  "  OV,"  which  mean  "  of  God."  Over  the  arch- 
angel nearer  to  Jesus,  are  the  characters  "  OAG," 
which  denote  "Archangel  Gabriel "  ;  over  the  arch- 
angel on  the  opposite  side  are  the  letters  "  OAM," 
which  indicate  "Archangel  Michael." 

The  archangels  appear  as  if  they  had  taken  flight 
from  their  heavenly  home,  and  had  come  with  speed 
into  the  presence  of  Jesus  and  Mary.  They  are  por- 
trayed as  presenting  to  the  Divine  Babe  the  instru- 
ments of  His  Passion  ;  the  Archangel  Gabriel  bears 
the  cross  and  the  nails  ;  the  Archangel  Michael,  the 
lance  and  the  sponge.  The  Child  Jesus  seems  startled. 
He  has  been  sleeping.  Suddenly,  he  is  roused  from 
his  slumbers  by  the  terrifying  vision  of  the  two  angels 
with  the  instruments  and  symbols  of  His  Passion  and 
Death :  The  cross,  the  nails,  the  spear,  and  the  sponge. 
In  His  tender  human  frame,  He  shrinks  affrighted 
from  the  awful  prospect.  When  a  full-grown  man, 
He  sank  to  the  earth,  through  fear,  in  the  Garden  of 
Gethsemane ;  now,  as  a  child,  He  almost  falls,  through 
fear,  from  His  Mother's  arms.  He  clings  to  Mary, 
and  she,  the  "  strong  woman,"  who  will  afterwards  re- 
main standing  beneath  His  cross  on  Calvary,  supports 
and  sustains  Him.  Through  terror  at  the  dreadful 
thought  of  His  Passion,  every  nerve  of  His  little  body 


THE  SHRINE  295 

quivers,  and  His  feet,  striking  against  each  other, 
cause  the  sandal  of  the  right  foot  partly  to  fall.  His 
Holy  Mother,  seeing  His  extreme  agitation,  seizes 
with  her  right  hand  His  two  trembling  hands 
while  He  huddles  close  to  Her  for  refuge  and  assist- 
ance. She,  meanwhile,  is  sadly  looking,  not  at  Him, 
nor  at  the  emblems  of  His  Passion,  but  at  us,  for  whom 
He  will  one  day  shed  His  blood.  She  is  appealing  to 
us  to  lay  our  sorrows  at  her  feet,  since  She  is  the 
Mother  of  Sorrows,  and  to  confide  in  Her,  since  in  her 
arms  She  bears  Him  who  is  the  Omnipotent  Lord  of 
heaven  and  earth.  The  little  Jesus  is  gazing  not  at 
Her,  but  at  the  Cross,  or,  perhaps,  at  something 
beyond  it,  not  represented  on  the  picture. 

Shortly  after  the  original  had  been  exposed  to 
public  veneration  in  Rome,  copies  of  it  were  made, 
blessed,  touched  to  the  original,  and  then  transmitted 
to  various  parts  of  the  world.  One  was  sent  to  St. 
James's  Church,  Baltimore,  Md. ;  one  to  the  Church 
of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer,  N.  Y. ;  one  to  St.  Al- 
phonsus'  Church,  St.  Louis,  Mo. ;  one  to  St.  Michael's 
Church,  Chicago,  111.,  and  one  to  the  Mission  Church, 
Boston. 


THE  PICTURE  OF  OUR  LADY  OF  PERPETUAL  HELP 
IN  THE  MISSION  CHURCH. 

As  the  reader  may  recall,  the  Sacred  Image  of  Our 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  was  solemnly  enthroned 
May  28,  1871,  above  the  high  altar  in  the  old  church. 
Our  Blessed  Mother  at  once  began  to  manifest  her 
inexhaustible  mercy  in  a  series  of  wonderful  cures 
which  still  continue,  and  which,  we  confidently  be- 
lieve, will  never  cease. 

The  very  day  after  the  picture  had  been  exposed 


296       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

for  veneration,  an  extraordinary  cure  was  wrought  in 
the  case  of  a  little  girl,  Louisa  Julia  Kohler.  The 
child  had  been  troubled  from  birth  with  a  shortness 
of  breath,  resembling  asthma.  When  she  was  a  year 
and  a  half  old,  the  disease,  in  some  way  or  other,  af- 
fected her  ankle.  An  operation  relieved  the  shortness 
of  breath;  nevertheless,  the  pain  in  her  ankle  was 
still  very  severe.  During  the  Triduum  celebrated  at 
the  church  in  honor  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help, 
the  child's  mother  began  a  no  vena.  After  she  had  said 
the  prayers  on  the  second  day,  her  little  daughter 
arose,  stood  erect  —  something  she  had  been  unable  to 
do  before  —  and  cried  out,  "Mamma,  mamma!" 
Amazed,  her  mother  ran  to  take  her  up,  but  the  child 
pushed  her  away,  sat  on  the  floor  again,  and  burst 
out  laughing.  However,  the  night  after  this  occur- 
rence, she  suffered  more  than  ever  and  appeared  to  be 
dying.  The  next  morning,  when  her  mother  had  re- 
moved the  bandages,  in  order  to  look  at  the  wound, 
the  little  girl  tossed  aside  the  poultice  that  had  been 
prepared,  escaped  from  her  mother  and  began  to  run 
round  the  table.  The  members  of  the  family  could 
hardly  believe  their  eyes.  When  the  wound  was  ex- 
amined, it  was  found  to  be  perfectly  healed.  The  dis- 
location had  been  righted,  and  nothing  remained 
of  the  ailment,  save  the  scars.  A  few  days  later 
Louisa  Julia  Kohler  visited  the  church  with  her 
mother.  While  the  latter  was  kneeling  in  prayer  be- 
fore the  statue  of  Our  Lady  of  Sorrows,  the  little  one, 
studying  the  image  of  Our  Lord  lying  dead  on 
His  Mother's  lap,  exclaimed,  "Face  like  papa, 
foot  like  mine  ! "  And,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  scar 
on  the  child's  foot  closely  resembled  the  mark  of  the 
wound  on  Our  Lord's. 

In  thanksgiving  for  this  wonderful  cure  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Kohler  dedicated  their  entire  family  to  Our  Lady 
of  Perpetual  Help. 


THE  SHRINE  297 

A  day  or  two  afterwards  another  extraordinary 
cure  was  effected  through  the  prayers  of  Our  Blessed 
Mother.  A  devout  woman  had  been  afflicted  for  fif- 
teen years  with  a  very  painful  and  distressing  disease 
which  had  baffled  and  defied  the  skill  of  the  best  physi- 
cians in  Boston.  Her  husband  had  spent  hundreds  of 
dollars  on  remedial  measures,  but  all  to  no  purpose 
whatsoever.  The  woman,  realizing  how  desperate  her 
case  was,  abandoned  all  hope  in  human  aid  and  ad- 
dressed herself  to  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help.  She 
began  a  novena  the  day  on  which  the  miraculous  pic- 
ture was  enthroned,  and  within  a  short  time  was  com- 
pletely cured,  not  a  trace  of  her  illness  remaining. 

In  March,  1872,  while  the  Fathers  were  giving  a 
mission  at  one  of  the  Boston  churches,  an  elderly 
woman  who  had  been  suffering  from  palsy  for  19 
years,  without  ever  being  able  to  obtain  any  relief 
from  the  doctors,  called  on  one  of  the  missionaries  and 
asked  him  if  he  could  do  anything  for  her.  The  Father 
blessed  her,  gave  her  a  medal  of  the  Holy  Virgin,  and 
told  her  to  begin  a  novena  to  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 
Help.  Three  days  after  she  had  begun  the  novena, 
she  returned  and  assured  him  that  she  had  been  re- 
stored to  perfect  health.  This  cure  is  attested  by  the 
family  with  whom  the  missionaries  stayed,  as  well  as 
by  the  five  Fathers  who  were  engaged  on  the  mission. 

The  knowledge  of  these  and  similar  cases  was  so 
noised  abroad  that  within  a  few  years  the  little  church 
came  to  be  regarded  as  the  Home  of  Wonders. 

In  November,  1874,  the  practice  of  bestowing  a 
blessing  on  the  sick  came  into  vogue  ;  at  first,  this 
blessing  took  place  on  Wednesday  at  11 :00  A.  M.,  but 
in  1877,  the  hour  was  changed  to  3 :00  P.  M. 

When  the  new  church  had  been  erected,  the  wonder- 
working picture  was  placed  not  above  the  main  altar, 
but  above  the  altar  in  the  chapel  of  Our  Lady  of  Per- 


298       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

petual  Help,  which  was  thenceforth  called  the 
"  Shrine."  As  the  years  rolled  by,  there  was,  on  the 
one  hand,  no  diminution  either  of  the  mercy  or  of  the 
power  of  the  Queen  of  Heaven;  and,  on  the  other,  no 
cooling  of  fervor  or  failing  of  confidence  on  the  part 
of  the  faithful.  Up  to  1884,  no  less  than  331  well- 
authenticated  cures  had  been  reported,  some  of  which 
had  been  wrought  in  favor  of  people  living  so  far  away 
as  West  Virginia  and  even  Texas.  Quite  a  number  of 
these  afflicted  ones  had  come  in  person  to  the  Shrine, 
there  to  perform  their  devotions. 

On  August  18,  1883,  occurred  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable of  all  the  cures  on  record — that  of  Miss 
Grace  Hanley,  daughter  of  Colonel  P.  T.  Hanley  of 
Roxbury.  We  shall  give  the  girl's  own  statement  of 
her  case: 

"When  a  little  over  four  years  of  age  I  went  to  spend  the 
summer  with  my  aunt  in  the  country.  I  was  very  strong 
and  healthy,  until  one  day  we  were  allowed  to  play  driving 
in  an  unused  carriage,  which  stood  in  the  carriage-shed,  ad- 
joining the  house.  By  the  side  of  the  carriage-house  stood 
a  large,  rough  rock  to  prevent  the  wheel  from  rubbing  off  the 
paint.  Wishing  to  get  out,  and  climbing  down  backward,  as 
children  do;  when  they  began  to  jolt  the  carriage,  my  hands 
lost  their  hold,  and  I  fell,  striking  the  lower  part  of  my  back 
on  the  rock,  between  which  and  the  wheel  I  was  tightly 
wedged.  Grandma,  who  had  come  to  spend  the  day,  hearing 
my  cries,  ran  to  my  assistance,  and  had  some  difficulty  in 
releasing  me  from  my  painful  position.  They  examined  my 
back,  but  found  not  even  a  scratch  upon  it,  though  I  could 
neither  sit  nor  lie  down — standing  being  the  least  painful 
position.  After  violent  crying,  I  fell  asleep  in  grandma's 
arms,  but  during  the  night  awoke,  screaming  with  fearful 
pain.  The  next  morning  mamma  took  me  to  the  doctor,  who, 
after  examining  my  back,  pronounced  my  suffering  growing 
pains.  Every  week  this  pain  grew  worse,  and  seemed  to  be 
in  the  side  rather  than  in  the  back,  which  puzzled  the  physi- 
cians. For  one  year  I  suffered  intense  agony,  as  the  physi- 
cians could  do  nothing  to  relieve  me.  At  the  close  of  the  year 


THE  SHRINE  299 

papa  called  in  Dr.  Cheever,  chief  surgeon  in  the  City  Hospi- 
tal. After  a  thorough  examination,  he  said  one  of  the  small 
bones  in  the  spinal  column  was  cracked,  that  being  the  cause 
of  the  intense  pain.  He  ordered  a  pair  of  steel  and  leather 
corsets  to  be  put  on,  which  I  wore  for  one  month.  My  grand- 
mother came  to  see  me  one  day,  and  advised  mamma  to  bring 
me  to  Dr.  Buckminster  Brown,  a  noted  specialist  in  all  bone 
diseases,  who  then  resided  on  Bowdoin  Street.  He  ordered 
me  to  be  put  to  bed,  without  a  pillow  under  my  head,  with 
weights  of  sand  hanging  from  the  head  and  foot  of  the  bed, 
and  pillows  of  the  same  on  each  side,  so  that  I  could  not 
move  my  body  at  all.  I  never  lifted  my  head,  even  to  take 
my  meals. 

At  this  time  mamma  began  to  make  novenas,  assisted  by 
papa,  the  children,  grandma,  grandpa,  uncles,  and  aunts. 
When  one  was  finished  we  commenced  another.     At  the  end 
of  a  year  the  doctor  permitted  me  to  get  up,  although  he 
said  I  was  the  first  of  his  patients  who  was  able  to  get  up 
under  a  year  and  a  half  in  the  condition  I  was  when  he  first 
took  charge  of  me,  and  mamma  attributed  this  improvement 
to  the  novenas  we  made,  assisted  by  the  Sisters  of  Charity 
and  the  Sisters  of  the  Good  Shepherd.     The  doctor  told 
mamma  to  expect  the  formation  of  an  abscess,  as  it  generally 
followed  the  decay  of  an  old  bone.     In  about  a  year  after 
this  a  dreadful  abscess  formed,  causing  intense  suffering.    In 
the  meantime  mamma  taught  me  reading  and  writing,  and 
dear  Father  Cooper  instructed  me  for  my  First  Holy  Com- 
munion, which  I  received  on  the  8th  of  December,  at  the  age 
of  nine  years.    I  remained  under  the  care  of  Dr.  Brown  until 
the  age  of  twelve,  wearing  the  heavy  corsets  continually. 
One  morning  in  November  I  went  with  papa  and  mamma  to 
Mass,  at  which  we  received  Holy  Communion.     On  our  way 
home  from  church  I  was  scarcely  able  to  walk,  and  gradually 
lost  the  use  of  my  lower  limbs ;  and  at  Christmas  I  could  not 
even  stand.     The  pain  in  my  back  returned  with  renewed 
force.     Dr.  Brown  was  very  much  discouraged  and  ordered 
leeches  to  be  applied,  and,  when  they  failed,  blisters  and 
powerful  liniments;  but  all  to  no  avail.     He  then  advised 
mamma  to  begin  again  the  old  treatment  of  putting  me  to  bed, 
as  a  last  resort.     I  remained  lying  on  my  back  for  over  six 
months.    After  the  first  of  September  we  heard  of  Dr.  Brad- 
ford, a  specialist  in  all  bone  diseases,  like  Dr.  Brown,  but 
using  a  different  treatment.    He  took  my  case  in  hand,  with 


300       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Dr.  Brown's  consent,  and  began  by  placing  me  in  a  'plaster 
of  Paris'  j  acket,  which,  when  hardened,  caused  so  much  pain 
that  he,  with  an  assistant  was  obliged  to  saw  if  off.  He  then 
ordered  a  wheel-chair.  In  March  he  advised  me  to  go  to  St. 
Margaret's  Hospital  under  the  care  of  the  'Episcopal  Sis- 
ters.' I  remained  there  three  months.  While  I  was  at  the 
hospital  they  applied  electricity,  ice-bags,  etc.,  to  my  back, 
but  every  application  made  it  worse.  About  this  time  I  had 
been  troubled  with  fearful  headaches,  which  grew  worse  every 
day,  and  for  which  the  doctors  could  do  nothing.  Dr. 
Bradford  managed  to  get  me  up  on  crutches,  and  had  a  very 
heavy  pair  of  corsets  made,  which  I  wore  day  and  night ;  and 
a  steel  frame,  into  which  I  was  strapped  every  night,  was  also 
made  to  prevent  me  from  turning  on  my  side.  Rev.  Father 
O'Brien  brought  me  Holy  Communion  several  times  while  I 
was  at  the  hospital.  When  I  was  able  to  use  the  crutches 
fairly  well,  the  doctor  advised  me  to  go  home.  I  never  found 
any  relief  from  my  pain,  either  in  the  head  or  spine.  During 
this  period  we  continued  our  novenas,  and  when  one  was 
finished  without  any  result,  I  always  thought  the  next  one 
would  cure  me.  In  July,  Dr.  Bradford  paid  me  a  visit,  and 
felt  discouraged  when  he  saw  how  helpless  I  was  without  the 
crutches.  He  said  the  headache  came  from  my  spine,  and  he 
could  do  nothing  to  relieve  me.  He  left,  advising  me  to  sit 
on  the  piazza,  and  get  all  the  fresh  air  I  could.  One  day  in 
August,  Rev.  Father  Rathke  called,  and  advised  me  to  make 
a  novena  in  the  church  before  Our  Blessed  Lady's  altar.  The 
next  morning  papa  carried  me  in  his  arms  down  stairs,  and 
into  the  buggy.  This  caused  me  great  pain.  In  the  church, 
before  the  altar,  assisted  by  papa,  grandma,  Aunt  Ella,  my 
brothers,  and  sisters,  I  began  another  novena.  Rev.  Father 
Delargy  also  knelt  with  us,  and  said  the  rosary.  From  the 
moment  I  began  this  novena  I  felt  sure  I  was  going  to  be 
cured.  Rev.  Father  Henning  gave  me  great  encouragement 
before  I  went  home.  The  third  day  of  the  novena  I  woke  up 
without  a  headache,  which  did  not  happen  for  the  last  three 
years.  This,  in  itself,  mamma  said,  was  a  miracle.  My  back 
seemed  to  grow  worse,  though  the  violent  pains  in  my  head 
were  entirely  gone.  The  wide  space  which  had  opened  on 
the  top  of  my  head  was  closed.  The  ninth  day  I  felt  my  back 
much  worse.  When  we  arrived  in  church  Rev.  Father  Delargy 
gave  me  Holy  Communion.  While  making  my  thanksgiving, 
after  receiving,  a  very  strange  feeling  came  over  me,  every- 


THE  SHRINE  301 

thing  seemed  to  grow  dark ;  I  thought,  perhaps,  I  was  going 
to  faint;  this  had  not  passed  off  when  another  feeling — I 
never  can  describe  it — passed  through  me  from  head  to  foot, 
like  a  thrill  (and  something  like  electricity).  My  Aunt  Ella, 
seeing  me  looking  pale,  came  with  my  crutches,  and  I  looked 
up  and  said:  'Oh,  I  do  not  want  them;  I  can  walk.'  She 
said,  'If  you  can  walk,  Grace,  walk  over  to  the  altar.'  I  got 
up,  passed  my  aunt,  who  still  held  the  crutches,  and  walked  to 
the  altar,  where  I  knelt  to  thank  our  Dear  Lord  and  His 
Blessed  Mother.  Papa  and  grandma  were  spellbound,  as 
they  did  not  hear  me  speak,  but  only  saw  me  get  up  and 
walk.  I  walked  down  the  aisle,  out  into  the  street,  by  my 
papa's  side,  and  I  did  not  stop  until  I  reached  my  mother's 
room,  up  one  flight  of  stairs.  The  corsets,  without  which  I 
could  not  before  sit  up,  were  taken  off,  the  pain  was  gone 
from  my  back,  and  my  head  was  as  well  as  that  of  any  one. 
I  did  not  even  feel  tired,  thanks  to  our  Blessed  Lord  and  our 
Dear  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help." 

The  news  of  this  miracle  spread  with  the  rapidity  of 
a  prairie-fire.  An  account  of  it,  published  in  nearly 
every  Catholic  paper  east  of  the  Mississippi,  and  in  a 
large  number  of  secular  prints,  did  more  than  any 
other  single  event  to  make  the  Mission  Church  a 
national  shrine  of  Our  Blessed  Mother.  Crowds,  at- 
tracted by  curiosity,  followed  the  girl  day  after  day 
on  her  way  to  church.  Great  numbers  of  people  of 
all  classes  and  creeds  visited  her  house  in  order  to 
behold  with  their  own  eyes  the  subject  of  the 
miracle,  and  to  assure  themselves  of  the  reality  of  the 
prodigy.  From  that  time  forward  Miss  Hanley  en- 
joyed perfect  health.  She  later  entered  the  Order  of 
the  Sisters  of  Jesus  and  Mary  at  Sillery,  near  Quebec, 
and  closed  a  saintly  life  by  a  precious  death  at  the 
Jesu-Marie  Convent  in  Fall  River,  Mass.,  on  June 
14,  1902.  As  a  memorial  of  her  miraculous  restora- 
tion to  health,  she  had  a  silver  tablet  inserted  in  the 
wall  of  the  Shrine,  near  the  altar  of  Our  Blessed 
Lady. 


302       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Another  wonderful  cure  shortly  after,  was  that  of 
Miss  Ellen  F.  T.  Meagher,  who  resided  on  Whitney 
Street,  Roxbury.  For  sixteen  years  previously  she 
had  been  a  resident  of  Boston,  and,  as  a  trained  nurse, 
had  earned  a  reputation  second  to  none.  Among  those 
whom  Miss  Meagher  had  attended  were  Judge  John 
Wells  of  the  Supreme  Court,  President  Eliot  of  Har- 
vard College,  and  Judge  Warren.  In  May,  1880, 
while  nursing  a  patient  in  Jamaica  Plain,  she  was 
taken  sick  with  rheumatism  in  the  arms,  which  obliged 
her  to  give  up  her  charge  and  return  home.  Her 
symptoms  soon  grew  more  pronounced  and  the 
pain  extended  to  her  back,  her  shoulders,  and  the 
lower  portions  of  her  body.  Moreover,  at  times,  she 
suffered  from  severe  vomiting,  often  accompanied  by 
blood.  These  spells  would  last  for  hours,  sometimes 
leaving  her  speechless  for  a  considerable  period  and 
obliging  her  to  remain  in  bed  for  months.  Many 
physicians,  eminent  in  their  profession,  were  in  con- 
stant attendance  on  her,  but  seemed  to  lose  their  skill 
and  cunning  in  the  face  of  the  subtle  disease.  Utterly 
unstrung  with  pain  and  dismayed  at  the  harrowing 
prospect  which  presented  itself,  Miss  Meagher,  rely- 
ing on  her  professional  knowledge  of  medicine,  re- 
sorted to  the  hazardous  expedient  of  treating  herself. 
But  the  only  result  was  that  her  strength  rapidly  de- 
clined, her  malady  made  deeper  inroads,  and  all  signs 
began  to  point  to  a  fatal  termination  of  her  disease. 
The  doctors,  when  consulted  again,  declared  her  be- 
yond all  medical  aid  ;  the  last  rites  of  the  Church 
were  administered;  and  the  stricken  woman  saw 
the  grave  opening  before  her  affrighted  vision.  While 
the  physicians  were  thus  despairing  of  her  recovery, 
one  of  the  Fathers  went  to  see  her  and  advised 
her  to  begin  a  novena  to  the  Mother  of  Perpetual 
Help.  This  she  did  on  August  31 ,  and  during  the  nine 


THE  SHRINE  303 

days  devoted  friends  brought  her  in  a  carriage  to  the 
seven,  o'clock  Mass,  and  gently  set  her  down  near  Our 
Lady's  altar.  During  the  greater  part  of  the  Mass 
on  the  last  day  of  the  novena  she  was  unconscious,  but 
at  the  Communion  she  revived  and  was  able  to  receive 
the  Sacred  Host.  After  the  Mass,  when  the  blessing 
for  the  sick  had  been  given,  she  arose  and  walked  out 
of  the  church  —  perfectly  cured.  The  doctors,  when 
they  saw  one  whom  they  thought  in  the  clutches  of 
death,  restored  to  health,  said  emphatically  that  they 
were  unable  to  account  for  her  recovery  except  by 
miracle.  Thenceforth,  Miss  Meagher  became  a  zea- 
lous apostle  of  devotion  to  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 
Help,  and  was  importuned  by  sick  friends  to  make 
novenas  in  the  interest  of  their  health. 

In  October,  1883,  the  Rev.  Peter  Trimpel, 
C.  SS.R.,  then  stationed  at  this  church,  was  sent  to 
Brattleboro,  Vt.,  to  give  a  mission  ;  but  after  a  few 
days  was  taken  suddenly  ill  and  obliged  to  return 
home.  Dr.  Albert  N.  Blodgett,  who  was  summoned, 
found  him  suffering  from  dropsy  and  pronounced 
him  "  a  very  sick  man."  Racked  with  pain,  Father 
Trimpel,  in  the  hope  of  recovery,  underwent  several 
operations.  After  some  time  he  seemed  to  rally  but 
was  still  very  weak.  On  one  of  his  last  visits,  the 
doctor  told  him  that  he  must  be  very  careful  not  to 
exert  himself,  and  that  he  should,  when  he  had  ac- 
quired sufficient  strength,  take  a  trip  to  a  southern 
climate.  A  few  days  later  Father  Trimpel  expressed 
the  earnest  wish  to  say  Mass,  if  a  priest  could  be  found 
to  assist  him.  Clad  in  the  sacred  vestments  of  his 
office,  he  went  out  to  offer  up  the  Holy  Sacrifice  in  the 
church.  At  the  sad  sight  of  the  once  strong  man,  now 
feebly  tottering,  trembling,  and  shuffling,  many  of 
those  present  were  moved  to  tears.  After  finishing 
Mass  he  was  so  weak  that  he  had  to  be  carried  back 


304       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

to  the  sacristy,  where,  in  a  state  of  exhaustion  and 
collapse,  he  was  gently  placed  on  a  chair.  For  a  short 
while  it  looked  as  if  his  death  were  at  hand.  In  a 
few  minutes,  however,  he  fairly  jumped  from  his  seat, 
and,  to  the  astonishment  of  his  attendants,  who 
thought  he  had  become  delirious,  cried  out,  "I'm 
cured,  I'm  cured  ! "  When  Father  Henning  heard 
what  had  happened,  he  was  slow  to  believe,  and  wisely 
suggested  sending  for  the  doctor.  But  Father  Trim- 
pel  insisted  on  walking  to  the  doctor's  office.  The 
latter,  on  seeing  him,  rubbed  his  eyes  and  pinched 
himself  to  make  sure  that  he  was  awake.  He 
examined  the  Father  closely,  and,  with  evident  emo- 
tion, exclaimed  :  "  Wonderful,  wonderful,  a  complete 
and  perfect  cure  ! " 

A  writer  in  the  Boston  Catholic  Herald  for  De- 
cember 1, 1883,  describing  what  he  saw  at  the  Mission 
Church,  says,  among  other  things: 

"Here  a  mere  child  on  crutches,  weak  and  powerless  from 
hip  disease.  Again,  a  beautiful  girl  with  a  face  not  unlike 
a  Madonna,  and  with  bright  golden  hair.  She,  too,  was 
accompanied  by  her  cross — a  crutch  partly  concealed  by  the 
folds  of  her  garments.  Here  is  a  poor  woman  scarcely  able  to 
move  an  inch  at  each  *  step.'  She  shuffled  along,  aided  by  the 
good  people  who  see  her  condition,.  Oh,  the  tenderness  of 
those  helpers  !  The  poor  woman  approached  the  altar.  But, 
saddest  of  all  !  There  is  a  beloved  priest,  a  paralytic, 
ascending  the  altar  to  celebrate.  He  is  carefully  attended  by 
a  brother  priest.  The  solemn  moment  of  consecration  ar- 
rives, and  the  body  of  Our  Divine  Lord  is  elevated  by  one 
hand ;  the  chalice  is  also  raised  in  like  manner.  .  .  . 

"Several  beautiful  crosses  are  to  be  found  around  the 
altar  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  but  there  is  one 
particular  cross  there,  shaped  like  a  St.  Andrew  cross  and 
leaning  a  little  to  one  side.  This  particular  cross,  while  of 
very  common  material,  is  somewhat  unique  in  character. 
It  is  a  pair  of  crutches.  This  memorial  cross,  and  some 
others  of  a  like  kind,  give  the  sanctuary  the  appearance  of 
a  shrine." 


THE  SHRINE  305 

In  the  spring  of  1884,  the  Rev.  Mother  Anastasia, 
the  Superior  of  the  Ursuline  Convent  at  Morrisania, 
N.  Y.,  and  sister  of  Father  Henning,  was  taken  seri- 
ously ill  and  for  several  days  lay  at  the  point  of  death. 
Her  reverend  brother  hastened  to  her  bedside,  in  order 
to  console  and  encourage  her,  and,  presumably,  to  be 
the  witness  of  her  death.  But,  wonderful  to  relate,  she 
did  not  die;  and  after  some  time  he  returned  home. 
Even  after  his  departure,  however,  when  one  might 
have  inferred  that  his  sister  was  on  the  road  to  re- 
covery, the  doctors  held  out  no  hope.  But  the  valiant 
woman  hoped  against  hope,  and,  invoking  Our  Lady 
of  Perpetual  Help,  promised  in  the  event  of  her  par- 
tial restoration  to  health  to  travel  to  Boston  and  to 
make  a  novena  at  the  Shrine,  for  a  complete  cure.  At 
once  she  took  a  turn  for  the  better,  and,  true  to  her 
word,  made  the  journey,  arriving  here  August  5. 
The  following  day  she  began  her  devotions,  and  at 
the  end  of  the  novena,  on  the  Feast  of  the  Assumption, 
was  entirely  cured.  A  few  days  later  she  resumed 
her  duties  at  Morrisania,  thanking  God  and  praising 
His  Blessed  Mother  for  the  great  favor  granted  her. 
Subsequently,  Father  Henning  said  Holy  Mass  at 
the  Shrine  in  thanksgiving  for  the  marvelous  recovery 
of  his  sister. 

Another  remarkable  cure  took  place  on  the  Feast  of 
the  Assumption,  1884.  A  devout  Catholic  woman  of 
Roxbury  had  suffered  for  years  from  a  dangerous 
affection  of  the  stomach.  At  the  beginning  of  August 
the  attending  physician  gave  her  orders  to  receive  the 
Sacraments,  and  without  delay  she  obeyed  his  instruc- 
tions. But,  a  few  days  afterwards  he  told  her  he 
would  try  one  more  remedy  —  a  desperate  one  —  that 
would  either  kill  or  cure.  She  requested  him  to  post- 
pone the  application  of  the  remedy  till  the  15th,  the 
last  day  of  the  novena  she  was  making.  He  consented ; 


306       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

and  that  afternoon  she  walked  to  the  doctor's  office, 
instead  of  having  him  come  to  take  her  in  a  carriage, 
as  had  been  arranged.  The  physician  was  dumb- 
founded ;  he  could  hardly  believe  his  own  eyes ;  when 
he  had  recovered  from  his  amazement,  he  examined 
his  patient  and  pronounced  her  "perfectly  cured." 

From  January  1  to  May  31, 1886,  thirty-one  cures, 
apparently  beyond  the  power  of  nature  to  effect,  were 
reported.  About  this  time  a  book  was  published,  re- 
counting in  detail  the  more  noteworthy  prodigies  that 
had  been  wrought  at  the  Sacred  Image  since  1871. 
This  book  obtained  a  wide  circulation,  and  served  to 
attract  thousands  to  the  Shrine,  which  became  like  the 
pool  of  Bethsaida.  Day  after  day,  in  fact  almost 
every  hour  of  the  day,  but  especially  on  Wednesday 
afternoon  from  three  to  four,  when  the  blessing  was 
given,  one  might  see  the  blind,  the  deaf,  the  dumb,  the 
maimed,  the  halt,  and  those  suffering  from  every  other 
variety  of  ill  to  which  human  flesh  is  heir,  gathered 
round  Our  Lady's  altar,  waiting  for  "the  moving  of 
the  water."  As  the  cures  multiplied,  crutches,  braces, 
splints  and  other  devices  for  aiding  crippled  and  de- 
formed members,  were  left  at  the  Shrine  ;  so  that  it 
became  necessary  to  erect  two  stands,  at  which,  even 
to  this  day,  one  may  see  those  mute,  yet  eloquent  con- 
trivances which  tell  the  sad  story  of  human  suffering, 
and  the  glad  story  of  the  boundless  power  and  mercy 
of  the  Mother  of  Perpetual  Help. 

One  of  the  greatest  days  in  the  history  of  the  Shrine 
was  the  Feast  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  Decem- 
ber 8,  1891,  on  which  as  many  as  seven  extraordinary 
cures  were  effected.  A  Grand  Triduum  elsewhere 
spoken  of  was  being  brought  to  a  close,  and  the 
Blessed  Mother,  in  thanksgiving  for  the  sublime 
honors  shown  her,  was  most  lavish  in  her  favors  to  her 
devoted  clients.  In  reference  to  one  of  these  cures 


THE  SHRINE  307 

Father   O'Connor,   the    Chronicler   of   the   church, 
writes : 

"At  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  just  as  I  was  blessing  the 
religious  articles  at  the  sanctuary-rail,  a  cry  was  raised  at 
the  Shrine.  I  was  alarmed,  thinking  that  some  one  was 
dying  or  had  fallen  into  a  fit.  Looking  over,  I  saw  a  Father 
in  the  midst  of  the  dense  crowd.  It  was  Father  Corduke, 
who  had  just  come  over  to  the  church  to  hear  confessions. 
Forcing  his  way  through  the  crowd,  he  asked  'What  is  the 
matter  here?'  and  was  answered  by  many  voices,  'Seven  peo- 
ple cured,'  'Who  are  they?'  One  little  girl  helped  by  another, 
pushed  forward  to  the  Father  and  said:  'Father  I  have 
been  blind  for  years,  I  could  not  go  anywhere  without  a 
guide,  but  now,  thank  God,  I  see  perfectly,  being  cured  at 
the  Shrine.'  The  priest,  to  satisfy  himself  of  the  truth  of 
what  she  said,  held  his  breviary  open  before  her,  and,  as 
she  could  not  read  Latin,  told  her  to  spell  a  word,  which 
she  did  without  a  moment's  hesitation,  the  first  word  on  the 
page  being  'Pater'  (Father). 

"As  the  crowd  pressed  towards  the  Shrine,  thus  creating 
the  danger  of  a  stampede,  the  priest  ordered  the  girl  to 
force  her  way  towards  the  door.  Thus  hundreds  saw  the 
wonder  with  their  own  eyes." 

The  Boston  Pilot  for  December  19  said : 

"Here  is  a  terse  and  accurate  statement  of  the  most  im- 
portant cures,  obtained  five  days  after  the  event  : 

"Miss  Sullivan,  4  Mason  Place,  Boston,  afflicted  with  hip- 
disease  for  five  years,  was  suddenly  cured  on  Tuesday,  De- 
cember 8,  after  Holy  Mass  at  the  Mission  Church. 

"Miss  Delong  of  Fitchburg,  Mass.,  suffering  for  four  or 
five  years  from  a  sprained  ankle,  not  being  able  to  walk 
without  crutches,  was  also  cured  suddenly,  leaving  her 
crutches  at  the  Shrine. 

"Hannah  Sullivan,  twelve  years  of  age,  living  in  South 
Boston,  was  suddenly  cured  of  blindness,  with  which  she  had 
been  afflicted  for  several  years.  She  was  able  to  read  from 
a  book  which  one  of  the  Fathers  held  before  her. 

"Miss  Nellie  Walsh,  22  Robinson  Street,  Lynn,  suffering 
from  hip-disease  and  not  being  able  to  walk  for  almost  three 


308       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

years,  left  her  crutch  at  the  high  altar,  and  has  done  without 
it  ever  since,  convinced  that  she  will  not  need  it  again. 

"Every  one  wanted  to  see  the  favored  ones.  Catholics 
hesitate  to  use  the  great  word  'Miracle,'  but  the  cures  above 
recorded  are  certainly  of  a  most  remarkable  order.  They 
have  greatly  increased  faith  and  devotion  among  the  people." 

When,  in  1896,  the  interior  of  the  church  was  reno- 
vated, special  attention  was  paid  to  the  embellishment 
of  the  Shrine.  Everything  that  love  could  suggest,  or 
art  devise,  or  money  buy,  was  employed  to  heighten 
and  emphasize  its  former  beauty,  and  to  render  it,  as 
far  as  might  be,  a  worthy  repository  of  the  wonder- 
working picture.  The  floor  of  the  Shrine  was  inlaid 
with  mosaics  and  raised  several  feet  above  the  floor  of 
the  church  ;  marble  steps  leading  from  the  one  to  the 
other  were  then  built,  and  the  Chapel  of  Our  Lady 
was  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  church  by  a  marble 
railing,  so  as  to  accentuate  the  sovereign  idea  that  it 
was  a  most  sacred  and  heavenly  spot.  The  altar  was 
surmounted  by  a  beautiful  dome,  done  in  Venetian 
gold  mosaic.  On  the  golden  door  of  the  tabernacle 
was  wrought  an  appealing  image  of  the  Mother  of 
Sorrows.  The  semicircular  ceiling  of  the  Chapel 
was  finished  in  gold  mosaic,  with  a  base  of  polished 
marble.  Above  the  picture  of  Our  Lady  of  Per- 
petual Help,  whence  all  the  glories  of  the  Shrine  em- 
anate, were  placed  two  angels  holding  a  crown,  as  if 
about  to  set  it  on  the  head  of  the  Sacred  Image.  Like 
the  crown,  the  angels  are  executed  in  mosaic,  with 
such  artistic  effect  that  they  have  frequently  been 
mistaken  for  beautiful  paintings.  In  the  wall  on  each 
side  of  the  altar  was  placed  a  stained-glass  window  ; 
the  one  to  the  right  representing  Our  Blessed  Mother 
with  the  Infant  Jesus  in  her  arms,  the  one  to  the  left, 
St.  John  the  Evangelist. 

Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  was  evidently  pleased 
with  what  her  devoted  servants  had  done  to  honor 


THE  SHRINE  309 

Her,  for  two  days  after  her  picture  had  been  reen- 
throned,  She  cured  another  of  her  crippled  clients.  On 
Tuesday,  May  5,  1896,  Father  Frawley  and  Father 
Corduke  noticed  at  the  rail  a  woman  leaning  on  a 
crutch.  Her  eyes  riveted  on  the  picture,  she  appeared 
deeply  rapt  in  prayer.  As  Father  Frawley  passed 
by,  the  thought  struck  him  that  the  Mother  of  Per- 
petual Help  could  not  refuse  to  hear  the  supplications 
of  so  earnest  and  fervent  a  soul.  He  went  to  the 
sacristy  to  attend  to  some  routine  matters,  and,  on 
returning  about  half  an  hour  afterwards,  was  sur- 
prised to  see  the  woman  walking  without  the 
aid  of  her  crutch.  She  looked  nervous,  pale,  and 
utterly  bewildered,  as  if  doubting  her  own  identity. 
After  visiting  the  seven  altars  she  mustered  up  cour- 
age to  go  to  the  rectory  and  tell  her  story.  For  two 
years  she  had  been  compelled  to  use  a  crutch,  but 
had  never  ceased  to  pray  confidently  to  Our 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  that,  if  God  so  willed, 
she  might  be  cured.  She  had  suffered  dreadfully  from 
nervous  shock,  which,  combined  with  rheumatism  in 
the  knees  and  feet,  had  made  it  impossible  for  her 
either  to  walk  or  to  kneel.  The  previous  Sunday  she 
had  heard  the  preacher  say  that  the  Blessed  Virgin 
might  grant  some  special  favors  during  the  proces- 
sion to  be  held  that  evening.  Since  then  she  had 
redoubled  her  prayers,  and  praised  be  Jesus  and 
Mary,  she  had  been  cured  of  her  distressing  ailment ! 
A  letter  received  early  in  1897,  stated  that  Mrs. 
Anna  Boyle  of  Nova  Scotia  had  been  blind  for  nine 
years  from  cataracts,  had  consulted  many  skilled  doc- 
tors, but  had  obtained  no  relief.  She  had  come  here, 
in  1896,  and  had  made  a  novena  at  the  Shrine.  After 
the  third  visit  she  was  cured,  and  was  able,  thence- 
forth, to  thread  a  needle  without  the  aid  of  spec- 
tacles. 


310       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

On  July  14,  1897,  Mary  E.  Donovan  was  freed  at 
the  Shrine  from  a  grave  malady,  for  which  as  many  as 
fifteen  doctors  had  treated  her — -but  in  vain.  Her 
case  was  so  remarkable  that  after  her  recovery  crowds 
of  people,  Protestants  as  well  as  Catholics,  came  to  see 
her  in  order  to  be  convinced  that  she  had  been  re- 
stored to  health. 

On  Wednesday,  April  6,  1898,  Master  Daniel 
Durick,  13  years  of  age,  of  South  Boston,  after  mak- 
ing a  novena  and  praying  at  the  Shrine,  was  delivered 
from  a  painful  affliction.  His  mother  gives  the  follow- 
ing account  of  the  case: 

"Last  October,  my  boy,  who  was  then  attending  school, 
while  playing  with  other  boys,  met  with  a  bad  fall  which 
caused  a  severe  pain  in  the  lower  part  of  his  back.  At  first 
we  did  not  think  that  there  was  anything  serious  about  the 
complaint,  but  the  pain  became  worse  and  settled  in  his  hip, 
so  that  he  could  hardly  move.  We  decided  to  consult  the 
family  physician,  but  some  friends  persuaded  us  to  see  a 
specialist.  Accordingly,  we  called  on  Dr.  Joel  Gothwaite, 
398  Marlboro  Street,  who  pronounced  the  case  hip-disease 
of  a  svery  serious  character,  and  ordered  the  boy  to  make 
use  of  crutches  and  a  high  shoe.  Unwilling  to  credit  the 
decision  of  the  specialist  (Dr.  Gothwaite),  we  concluded  to 
call  in  the  family  physician,  Dr.  M.  F.  Gavin,  545  East 
Broadway,  South  Boston.  We  did  not  mention  to  him  that 
the  specialist  had  been  consulted.  Dr.  Gavin  confirmed  the 
statement  of  Dr.  Gothwaite.  Nothing  could  be  done  but  to 
get  the  crutches  and  the  high-heel  shoe  recommended  by  both 
physicians.  After  a  few  months  of  painful  anxiety  over  the 
affliction  of  our  little  boy,  and  with  no  expectation  of  help 
from  any  human  source,  we  determined  to  seek  supernatural 
aid.  My  little  boy  and  I  went  to  Our  Lady's  Shrine  on 
Wednesday,  April  6,  after  having  begun  a  novena  a  few  days 
before.  We  had  a  presentiment  that  Our  Lady  was  going  to 
confer  a  favor  on  the  boy.  We  both  prayed  with  unusual 
fervor  at  the  Shrine  that  day,  although  no  evident  favor  was 
granted  until  we  returned  home  and  had  retired  to  rest.  The 
boy  being  fatigued  after  the  long  journey  soon  fell  asleep. 
Suddenly  he  sprang  up  with  an  exclamation  of  joy,  and 


THE  SHRINE  311 

awoke  his  parents  and  other  members  of  the  family  with  the 
cry  'I  am  cured !'  Such  was  truly  the  case.  He  never  after- 
wards experienced  the  least  difficulty  except  that  for  a  few 
days  his  leg  was  somewhat  weak." 


Mr.  Michael  Murphy,  of  Charlestown,  Mass.,  frac- 
tured his  ankle,  in  1894;  as  a  result  he  was  com- 
pelled to  use  a  crutch.  Having  done  so  for  three 
years  and  a  half,  he  made  a  novena  at  the  Shrine, 
was  entirely  cured,  and  left  his  crutch  there. 

With  each  succeeding  year  the  number  of  pilgrims 
to  the  Shrine  vastly  increased.  Father  Frawley,  re- 
alizing the  great  good  that  would  be  accomplished  by 
some  kind  of  magazine  setting  forth  the  glories  and 
the  mercies  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  began, 
in  1900,  the  publication  of  a  quarterly  entitled  "  The 
Little  Messenger  of  Mary."  At  once  it  obtained 
practically  a  nation-wide  circulation.  It  contained 
every  species  of  article  that  the  lovers  of  Mary  could 
desire,  but  its  most  prominent  feature  was  an  account 
of  favors  received  at  the  Shrine. 

In  the  Messenger  for  April,  1901,  Mr.  Daniel  W. 
McGarry,  of  Akron,  Ohio,  writing  under  date  of 
February  23,  gives  the  following  account  of  his  cure 
through  the  intercession  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 
Help: 

"I  was  sick  for  more  than  a  year,  during  which  time  I 
consulted  some  of  the  most  eminent  physicians  in  Akron 
and  Cleveland:  but  my  case  seemed  to  baffle  all  medical 
skill. 

"When  all  medical  aid  had  failed,  I  heard  of  the  many 
favors  obtained  at  the  Shrine  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 
Help  in  Boston.  I  had  recourse  to  Our  Lady  and  began  a 
novena  in  her  honor. 

"Before  the  novena  was  finished  I  was  completely  cured. 

"My  cure  has  been  the  cause  of  a  wonderful  spread  of 
devotion  to  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  in  Akron." 


312       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Shortly  afterwards  a  prominent  physician  in  Ohio 
was  about  to  undergo  an  operation  for  a  cancer  that 
was  eating  away  one  of  his  eyes.  He  had  consulted 
the  best  specialists  in  Cincinnati,  who  decided  that 
his  only  chance  of  recovery  lay  in  submitting  to  an 
operation  that  would  most  probably  disfigure  him  for 
life.  In  his  sore  distress  he  turned  to  the  Shrine  of 
Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  and  made  a  novena,  in 
which  he  was  joined  by  the  Sisters  who  had  been  at- 
tending him  during  his  illness.  Before  they  had  fin- 
ished the  novena,  the  cancer  entirely  disappeared  and 
the  physician  was  restored  to  perfect  health. 

The  news  of  this  cure  obtained  such  broadcast  pub- 
licity that  in  March,  1901,  the  New  York  Herald 
published  the  following  lengthy  article  on  the 
Shrine : 

"A  Lourdes  in  the  Land  of  Puritans" 

"Within  the  last  few  weeks  Roxbury,  a  suburb  of  Boston, 
has  become  famous  as  an  American  Shrine.  As  pilgrims  of 
all  creeds,  nationalities  and  conditions  throng  to  the  re- 
nowned shrines  abroad,  where  miraculous  cures  are  effected 
upon  persons  suffering  from  diseases  pronounced  incurable 
by  medical  science  and  surgery,  so  they  are  coming  now  to 
this  place  —  the  maimed,  the  blind,  the  deformed,  those 
afflicted  with  every  known  form  of  serious  ills  that  afflict  man- 
kind and  that  defy  the  most  advanced  modern  methods  of 
remedy. 

"The  rich  and  poor  throng  here  together  at  this  little 
altar  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  their  prayers  mingling 
and  their  tear-wet  eyes  raised  to  the  Shrine,  before  which 
five  lights  burn,  stars  of  hope  to  these  poor,  pain-racked, 
stricken  ones  that  with  bent  limbs,  and  many  with  sightless 
eyes  and  piteously  deformed  bodies,  kneel  in  the  silence  of 
the  great  church  that  has  been  built  around  the  Shrine,  from 
which,  during  the  last  quarter  of  a  century  hundreds  of  so- 
called  incurables  have  gone  forth,  their  trembling  limbs  set 
firmly  upon  the  ground  for  the  first  time  in  years,  their 
staffs  and  crutches,  sometimes  life-companions,  thrown  aside, 


THE  SHRINE  313 

their  hands  clasped  in  an  ecstacy  of  gladness  and  their  faces 
radiant  with  a  wonderful  light — the  same  that  comes  over 
the  face  of  a  mother  when  she  feels  the  kiss  of  a  new-born 
child,  the  light  of  life — life  that  we  know  not  of,  but  knowl- 
edge of  which  we  grope  for,  like  Ibsen's  blind  men  in  the  for- 
est, trying  with  feeble,  world-stained  hands  to  make  a  way 
through  tangled  creeds  and  fads  and  sciences  and  cults  that 
nowadays  we  call  religion. 

"The  scene  witnessed  this  afternoon  in  the  Mission  Church 
of  the  Redemptorist  Fathers  recalled  vividly  the  chapters 
which  Zola  _wrote  a  few  years  ago  of  the  pilgrimage  to 
Lourdes.  Here  were  to  be  seen  all  classes  and  conditions 
bound  by  the  universal  tie  of  suffering.  The  rich  were  borne 
from  carriages  by  servants,  attended  by  loving  relatives  and 
friends.  There  were  also  the  poor,  some  of  them  old,  bent, 
worn  with  years  of  infirmity.  They  hobbled  after  their 
brothers  so  much  wealthier  in  the  world's  goods,  but  poor  in 
the  possession  of  God's  greatest  gift  to  man. 

"There  were  little  children  too,  the  saddest  of  them  all, 
their  young  eyes  dim  with  pain  that  many  of  them  have 
known  since  birth;  with  none  of  the  brightness  or  joy  of 
childhood  in  their  faces,  but  with  little  bodies  and  limbs 
encased  in  cumbersome  metal  frames,  or  heads  masked  in 
horrible  helmets  of  steel. 

"They  were  the  bravest  of  the  invalids — these  youthful 
martyrs.  For  while  their  faces  were  pinched  and  worn  and 
thin  and  serious  with  the  awe  of  the  church  and  their  mission 
at  the  altar,  still  they  did  not  weep  or  pray  or  cry  aloud,  as 
did  their  elders.  They  sat  or  knelt  with  folded  hands,  looking 
at  the  Shrine,  with  prayers  in  their  sad  eyes,  or  else  leaned 
in  the  arms  of  mothers,  to  whom  these  maimed  and  stricken 
little  ones  are  always  dearer  than  are  their  stronger  brothers. 

"There  were  babies  borne  in  their  parents'  arms  to  the  foot 
of  the  altar  to  be  held  before  the  Shrine;  and  women  whose 
beauty  had  faded  into  white  masks,  their  rich  garments  and 
furs  covering  lameness  and  helplessness.  There  were  men 
once  filled  with  the  ambition  and  glory  of  life  and  its  ac- 
complishment, their  faces  weakened  now  with  pain  and  bear- 
ing all  the  traces  of  a  fight  with  death — a  fight  in  which  they 
have  been  almost  conquered,  and  now  come  as  to  a  last  trib- 
unal, many  of  them  hoping  without  understanding,  and  many 
with  faith  dead  within  them  after  years  of  resultless  treat- 
ment from  specialists  the  world  over. 


314.       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


Waiting  for  the  Blessing. 

"The  transition  from  a  world  of  healthful,  living  people, 
a  city  full  of  jostling,  battling  human  beings  with  all  their 
strivings,  their  failings,  their  virtues  and  their  sins,  to  this 
church,  where  all  the  usual  ambitions  of  existence  have 
turned  into  the  still  channel  of  illness,  is  a  change  that  is 
strong  in  the  contrast. 

"It  is  little  wonder  that  from  the  sky  or  beyond  it,  or  from 
wherever  we  may  hope  for  the  blessings  of  mercy  and  charity, 
an  answer  comes  to  this  mighty  prayer  of  boundless  human 
misery.  It  is  a  demand  that  needs  no  words.  The  Redemp- 
torist  priest  who  looks  over  the  congregation  on  this  after- 
noon of  every  week  said  nothing  to  the  stricken  ones  of  their 
ills  or  their  hopes  for  health.  He  gave  the  blessing  of  the 
Church,  and  knelt  in  prayer  with  the  suffering  ones,  who  wept 
and  prayed  and  called  aloud  for  help  in  their  affliction. 

"This  is  the  only  service.  There  is  no  singing,  nor  organ 
music,  nor  incense,  nor  any  of  the  beautiful  Latin  prayers  or 
litanies  of  the  Church.  It  is  all  cold  and  gray  as  a  monument 
of  grief.  The  shafts  of  sunlight  that  break  through  the 
stained-glass  panes  in  streams  of  purple  and  rose  and  gold 
cause  the  children's  eyes  to  brighten,  but  they  only  bring 
heavier  sighs  to  the  lips  of  the  older  martyrs,  who  see  no 
rainbow  of  God's  promise  in  the  magic  ray. 

"The  prayer  over,  there  is  a  rattle  of  crutches  on  the 
marble  floor,  sad  as  the  sound  of  earth  falling  into  a  grave. 
The  throng  departs,  the  beds  are  carried  out,  the  blind  led 
away,  and  the  feeble  assisted  through  the  church  door.  Many 
remain  to  pray  with  heads  bowed,  and  some  with  rosaries 
between  their  fingers.  Others  are  there  to  return  thanks  for 
the  restored  health  of  relatives  or  for  their  own. 

"One  little  boy  I  saw,  who,  in  leaving  the  pew,  his  cap  in 
his  hand,  walked  around  in  front  of  the  shrine  altar,  looking 
with  a  strangely  solemn  gaze  at  one  of  the  high  stands  upon 
which  hang  all  the  discarded  surgical  appliances  that  have 
been  cast  off  at  the  foot  of  this  wonderful  altar. 

"The  boy  was  not  one  of  the  cripples.  His  body  was  sturdy 
and  strong,  although  his  face  was  older  than  his  years.  He 
leaned  over  to  the  stand  where  hung  a  metal  frame,  such  as 
is  used  for  child  patients  suffering  from  spinal  disease. 

"He  looked  at  it  with  wondering,  childish  interest  and 


THE  SHRINE  815 

gravity.  Then,  observing  my  attention,  he  pointed  it  out 
with  a  certain  pride.  'That's  mine,'  he  whispered.  'I  was 
cured  last  year.  I  come  and  look  at  it  every  once  in  a 
while.' 

"These  cures  have  been  occurring  at  the  Mission  Church 
for  the  last  twenty  years. 

"They  are  of  such  constant  occurrence  here  in  Roxbury, 
that  only  the  marvelous  ones — those  of  cancer,  of  consump- 
tion, of  seemingly  helpless  deformity — attract  attention. 
One  old  man,  who  keeps  a  shop  in  the  vicinity  of  the  church, 
said:  *I  have  lived  here  for  twenty  years,  and  have  seen  an 
endless  stream  of  people  who  passed  this  door  on  crutches, 
lame  and  suffering  from  various  sicknesses.  I  have  seen  and 
talked  with  them  afterwards  when  they  were  strong,  well 
and  deeply  affected  by  the  marvels  that  had  been  worked 
within  them.' 

"Numbers  of  people  come  from  distant  cities  to  Roxbury 
to  visit  the  Shrine  and  offer  the  novena,  or  nine  days'  prayer, 
which  is  the  form  of  petition  for  recovery  from  disease. 

"Some  of  the  cures  are  effected  almost  immediately  with 
all  the  evidences  of  miraculous  intervention;  others  are 
reached  with  longer  and  more  prayerful  effort.  Many  still 
toil  to  the  church  who  have  been  going  there  for  years  un- 
helped. 

"The  Shrine  has  come  into  popular  notice  recently  through 
some  wonderful  cures  that  have  been  effected  at  a  distance 
of  many  miles  through  prayers  offered  in  thought  at  the 
Shrine,  although  the  patient  has  been  miles  across  the  con- 
tinent, unable  through  lack  of  means  or  dangerous  condi- 
tion to  visit  the  Shrine  in  person. 

"Each  day  the  mail  brings  letters  to  the  Mission  Church 
House  with  accounts  of  these  miracles  which  are  remarkable 
in  view  of  the  fact  that  a  pilgrimage  to  a  Shrine  has  always 
been  part  of  the  form  of  prayer  for  cure  in  other  countries. 

"Prominent  persons  outside  of  the  Church  have  been  cured 
through  the  novenas  of  Catholic  friends  offered  in  behalf  of 
the  patients  without  their  knowledge.  A  Cincinnati  physi- 
cian, who  was  about  to  undergo  a  dangerous  operation  for 
eye  cancer,  was  one  of  the  most  recent  cases  that  gained 
great  publicity.  A  novena  offered  at  the  Shrine  in  thought, 
as  a  last  resort  before  submitting  to  the  surgeon's  knife, 
effected  a  marvelous  cure,  the  cancer  disappearing  before  the 


316       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

nine  days'  prayer  was  ended,  to  the  amazement  of  the  physi- 
cian and  his  brother  practitioners. 

"These  letters,  as  they  arrive,  are  recorded  with  names 
and  addresses  and  details  in  a  book  of  record,  which  is  open 
for  inspection  at  the  Mission  House.  A  recital  of  them 
would  fill  many  Herald  pages  with  details  of  loathsome  and 
painful  diseases. 

"Scoffers  are  apt  to  ridicule  all  cures  that  come  through 
faith,  whether  by  the  modern  sciences  of  health  that  have 
religious  belief  as  a  foundation,  or  those  at  shrines.  They 
quote  what  they  know  when  they  make  light  of  the  miraculous. 

"But  those  who  have  been  through  the  valley  of  death  to 
life,  and  cast  off  the  manacles  of  steel  and  iron  to  stand  with 
tear-filled  eyes  and  bounding  hearts  before  an  altar  as  though 
risen  from  the  dead  like  Lazarus,  these  laugh  at  what  they 
know,  for  they  have  learned  that  to  feel  is  greater  than  it  is 
to  know. 

"Through  the  books  of  the  recorded  cures  at  the  Mission 
Church,  from  which  I  copied  hundreds  of  names  and  ad- 
dresses, and  from  the  many  homes  in  Roxbury,  where  cures 
have  been  effected  upon  the  members  of  the  families,  I  learned 
beyond  all  doubt  that  wonders  are  effected  at  the  Shrine. 

"These  cures  do  not  consist  of  the  usual  nervous  diseases 
that  come  so  easily  within  the  power  of  faith  curists,  scien- 
tists and  hypnotists.  They  are  cases  that  have  for  years  de- 
fied the  specialists  of  Boston  and  its  vicinity  and  have  been 
pronounced  incurable,  not  by  one  doctor,  but  by  five  or  six, 
who  in  consultation  in  hospital  wards  and  elsewhere  have 
pronounced  the  doom  of  men  and  women,  now  strong  and 
well  through  the  prayers  at  the  Shrine. 

"I  saw  one  of  the  Redemptorist  Fathers  at  the  Mission 
Church  House  and  he  told  me  of  the  marvelous  cures  that 
have  happened  at  the  church. 

"  'They  have  been  happening  constantly  for  tihe  last 
twenty-five  years,'  he  said:  'but  we  are  very  much  averse  to 
any  publicity  beyond  that  which  must  occur  through  the 
cure  of  invalids  who  have  been  pronounced  beyond  the  aid  of 
medical  skill. 

"  'So  few  people  understand  the  attitude  of  the  Church  in 
these  matters,  and  so  many  wofully  misrepresent  it,  that  we 


THE  SHRINE  317 

feel  that  better  results  can  be  produced  without  the  notice 
of  people  who  are  ignorant  of  the  facts. 

"  'A  Shrine,  to  many  such  persons,  is  a  place  at  which 
Catholics  adore  statues  and  pictures,  and,  of  course,  we  are 
accused  of  idolatry.  A  Shrine  is  a  symbol  reverenced  and 
loved  just  as  the  American  Flag  is,  because  it  is  the  symbol 
of  the  nation.  The  flag  materially  considered,  means  noth- 
ing, but  it  is  the  idea  of  the  flag  that  makes  men  willing  to  die 
for  their  country. 

"  'The  novenas  that  are  offered  at  the  Shrine  ask  the  in- 
tercession of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  whom  the  Church  honors 
next  to  Our  Saviour.  They  consist  of  nine  days  of  prayer  with 
faith  and  the  reception  of  the  Sacraments.  The  record  of 
cures  here  is  great,  but  we  never  speak  of  cures  or  illness  to 
the  people  who  come  here  for  relief. 

"  'The  cures  that  have  occurred  at  a  distance  from  the 
Shrine  have  also  been  of  constant  happening.  .  .  .  The 
efficacy  of  the  intercession  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  here  finds  its 
greatest  proof.  The  first  miracle  that  Jesus  performed  was 
done  at  the  request  of  Mary,  as  is  recorded  in  the  second 
chapter  of  St.  John.'  " 

On  March  6,  1901,  Miss  Helen  Delourey  of  East 
Braintree,  Mass.,  left  her  crutches  at  the  Shrine,  in 
grateful  remembrance  of  her  wonderful  deliverance 
from  a  crushing  physical  affliction. 

Miss  Delourey,  according  to  her  own  statement,  in 
which  her  mother  concurred,  had  been  a  helpless 
cripple  from  childhood,  owing  to  contraction  of  the 
cords  of  her  limbs.  She  had  consulted  the  ablest 
specialists  in  Boston,  but  all  were  utterly  unable  to 
relieve  her  sufferings,  or  to  give  her  any  hope  of  ever 
being  cured.  Even  when  the  sad  and  bitter  realiza- 
tion had  dawned  on  her  that  medical  science  could  do 
nothing  for  her,  the  brave  young  woman  was  not  dis- 
couraged. On  the  contrary  she  had  recourse  with  un- 
conquerable faith  to  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help, 
who,  clothed  with  the  power  and  mercy  of  her  Son, 
could  and  would  restore  to  her  mourning  and  weeping 
child  the  perfect  use  of  her  limbs. 


318       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

In  this  spirit  Miss  Delourey  and  her  relatives  be- 
gan a  novena  to  our  Mother  Mary.  But  as  the  poor 
cripple  was  utterly  unable  to  walk,  she  had  to  perform 
her  devotions  at  home.  After  the  novena  there  was  a 
decided  improvement  in  her  condition.  She  made  a 
second,  then  a  third  novena,  at  the  end  of  which  she 
was  able  to  walk  with  the  aid  of  a  crutch.  Beside  her- 
self with  joy  she  made  a  fourth  novena,  in  the  abso- 
lute conviction  that  she  would  be  completely  cured. 
During  this  novena  she  visited  the  Shrine  twice. 
Some  days  after  she  had  finished  her  devotions  she 
returned,  as  stated  above,  to  deposit  her  crutch  at 
this  privileged  sanctuary,  and  to  render  thanks  for 
the  great  favor  conferred  on  her  through  the  inter- 
cession of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

In  the  autumn  of  1901,  the  subjoined  communica> 
tion  was  received  from  far-off  Aberdeen,  South  Da- 
kota: 

"Rev.  and  Dear  Father: 

"Some  time  ago  I  wrote  you  asking  that  you  place  a  peti- 
tion before  the  Altar  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  asking 
that  the  health  of  my  father  and  sister  might  improve.  I  am 
happy  to  inform  you  that  they  are  both  much  improved, 
which  I  feel  is  granted  through  the  intercession  of  Our  Lady 
of  Perpetual  Help. 

"I  promised  to  have  it  published  in  the  Messenger,  and  if 
you  have  any  space,  would  be  pleased  to  have  it  made  known, 
thereby  to  increase  devotion  to  Our  Dear  Mother  of  Perpetual 
Help." 

A  woman  from  away  down  in  Alexander,  Texas, 
wrote  on  April  19,  1902: 

"Please  have  a  Mass  of  Thanksgiving  said  in  honor  of  Our 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  for  a  great  favor  received.  I  was 
very  ill  for  several  months.  I  made  a  Novena  in  honor  of 


THE  SHRINE  319 

Our  Dear  Mother  of  Perpetual  Help.  I  am  now  entirely 
well,  thanks  to  her  glorious  intercession.  Kindly  have  this 
favor  inserted  in  the  Messenger  of  Mary." 


The  Boston  American  for  March  28,  1909,  under 
the  heading,  "Heaps  of  Crutches  Left  at  Altar  by 
Afflicted,"  said: 

"A  former  Governor  of  Massachusetts  remarked  once  at 
a  public  dinner  that  he  felt  ashamed,  filling,  as  he  did,  the 
office  of  Chief  Executive  of  the  Commonwealth,  at  his  want  of 
knowledge  of  the  grand  work  that  is  being  done  by  the 
Fathers  of  the  Redemptorist  Church  on  Mission  Hill  in 
Roxbury. 

"It  is  a  wonderful  and  absorbing  story  of  great  results 
achieved  within  a  single  generation,  results  that  have  been 
productive  of  rich  fruit  for  religion  and  morality  and  for 
human  advancement  and  helpfulness.  The  self-sacrificing 
priests  of  the  Redemptorist  Order,  who  have  produced  them, 
have  literally  gone  down  to  the  bedrock  of  the  social  prob- 
lem. If  anyone  wants  to  know  what  they  have  built  from 
that  foundation,  let  him  take  a  car  to  Roxbury  Crossing 
any  day  and  walk  up  the  hilly  street  till  he  sees  the  noble 
front  of  the  Mission  Church.  Then  let  him  go  inside.  He 
will  find  himself  in  a  church  that  of  itself  is  worth  visiting, 
being  one  of  the  finest  edifices  in  the  country.  He  will  see  at 
almost  any  hour  of  the  day,  from  early  morning  till  night, 
people  of  all  ages,  from  the  tot  of  eight  or  ten  to  the  grand- 
parent, and  of  all  conditions,  from  the  humblest  laborer  to 
the  queen  of  her  social  circle,  all  bowed  in  silent  and  devout 
prayer  before  the  miraculous  Shrine  of  Our  Lady  of  Per- 
petual Help.  Inside  the  marble  railing  he  will  see,  on  either 
side,  piled  higher  than  a  tall  man's  head,  two  heaps  of 
crutches  and  canes  of  every  size.  These  were  left  there  by 
the  afflicted  ones  who  came  to  pray  at  the  Shrine  and  then 
walked  away  without  them.  Many  well  authenticated  and 
wonderful  cures  have  come  to  the  people  visiting  this  Shrine. 

"In  the  center  hangs  a  picture  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 
Succor.  This  picture  is  a  counterpart  of  the  miraculous 
picture  which,  in  1867,  was  crowned  at  Rome  in  the  Church 
of  the  Redemptorists,  dedicated  to  St.  Alphonsus.  During 


320       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

the  more  than  thirty  years  that  the  sacred  picture  has  been 
enshrined  in  the  Roxbury  church  it  has  been  the  mecca  of 
faithful  supplicants. 

"From  every  section,  not  only  of  Boston  and  of  Massachu- 
setts, but  of  New  England  and  from  distant  points  of  the 
South  and  the  West,  people  come  in  large  numbers  to  visit 
this  Shrine  and  beseech  Divine  relief  in  affliction." 


In  the  Boston  Globe  for  December  10,  1910,  the 
following  article  appeared: 

"LYONS  SAYS  HE  Is  Now  HEALED — BROOKLINE  BOY  CLAIMS 
CURE  AT  THE  SHRINE — His  CRUTCHES  AND  BRACES 
PUT  AWAY — HE  BUYS  SHOES — His  MOTHER  AND 
NEIGHBORS  TESTIFY  TO  RESULT. 

"Incurably  lame  for  five  years,  Richard  Lyons,  the  17- 
year-old  son  of  John  Lyons,  of  8  Roberts  Street,  Brookline, 
was  miraculously  cured  at  the  Shrine  in  the  Mission  Church, 
Tremont  Street,  Roxbury,  Thursday. 

"The  boy,  who  could  not  get  about  without  the  aid  of 
crutches  and  a  cumbersome  brace  across  his  hip,  is  now  able 
to  run  about  as  any  lad  of  sound  limb.  He  has  discarded 
both  brace  and  crutch  and  bought  an  ordinary  pair  of  shoes 
in  the  bargain. 

"To  find  a  more  delighted  lad  than  young  Lyons  has  been 
since  Thursday  would  be  a  difficult  proposition.  He  attends 
St.  Mary's  parochial  school  and  is  well  known  in  the  section 
where  he  lives.  The  good  news  of  his  cure  has  spread  all 
over  the  neighborhood  and  is  the  cause  of  great  wonder. 

"When  Richard  was  six  years  old,  he  fell  from  a  fence  and 
received  injuries  to  his  hip,  which  a  physician  said  would 
result  in  more  serious  effects  as  the  boy  grew  older.  About 
a  year  later  there  were  symptoms  of  hip  trouble,  but  it  was 
not  until  five  years  ago  that  it  became  serious. 

"The  boy  took  to  bed  and  remained  there  a  year.  He 
was  then  able  to  go  about  with  the  aid  of  a  large  brace  around 
his  hip,  and  a  pair  of  crutches.  On  November  29  last,  Rich- 
ard began  a  Novena  at  the  Mission  Church  and  on  the  same 
day  received  a  blessing.  He  attended  Mass  every  day  with 


THE  SHRINE  321 

the  exception  of  three.  He  received  Holy  Communion  on 
December  2,  4  and  8,  the  latter  being  the  day  on  which  he 
was  cured. 

"Richard  went  into  the  church  with  his  mother  last  Thurs- 
day a  little  early  for  the  8 :30  Mass.  He  told  his  mother  that 
he  would  go  before  the  Shrine  and  pray  a  while.  He  came 
back  and  during  the  Mass  sat  with  his  mother,  not  far  from 
the  Shrine. 

"During  the  services  he  noticed  a  change  come  over  him 
and,  to  his  surprise,  he  was  able  to  kneel.  At  the  close  of  the 
Mass  he  handed  his  crutches  to  his  mother  and  walked  out  of 
the  church  and  got  on  the  car. 

"His  old  trouble  appeared  to  have  entirely  disappeared, 
Richard  was  not  home  very  long  before  he  started  for  a  shoe 
store,  where  he  was  fitted  to  a  regular  pair  of  shoes,  dis- 
carding a  high-heeled  boot  that  he  had  been  wearing  for 
three  years.  When  seen  at  his  home  last  evening,  the  new 
shoes  had  a  considerably  worn  appearance,  indicating  that 
he  had  done  a  good  deal  of  walking  and  running  about.  'My 
leg  and  hip  are  all  right  now,'  said  the  boy,  'and  no  more 
crutches  for  me.' 

"According  to  the  usual  custom,  Mrs.  Lyons  will  make  a 
report  of  the  miracle  to  send  to  the  priests  at  the  Mission 
Church.  The  names  of  Mrs.  Lyons,  Miss  Mary  E.  Burns,  of 
49  Calumet  Street,  Roxbury,  and  Miss  Margaret  Gildea,  of 
8  Roberts  Street,  Brookline,  will  be  signed  to  the  statement 
as  to  the  cure." 

In  a  letter  received  from  a  client  of  Our  Blessed 
Lady,  in  Peoria,  Illinois,  written  under  date  of  De- 
cember 17,  1911,  the  writer  says,  "Please  thank  our 
dear  Mother  for  me,  for  she  cured  me  of  typhoid  fever 
after  two  doctors  had  given  me  up  to  die.  ...  I 
promised  to  make  this  known  in  your  Annals." 

After  some  years  the  "  Little  Messenger  of  Mary  " 
was  superseded  by  "  The  Annals  of  the  Shrine  of  Our 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,"  a  periodical  which  has 
found  its  way  into  every  section  of  this  country,  and 
even  into  remote  regions  of  Canada. 

In  the  Annals  for  1916,  the  Golden  Jubilee  Year 


322       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

of  the  Restoration  of  the  Miraculous  Picture,  one  may 
read  on  page  14  the  following  letter: 

"Roxbury,  Mass.,  Jan.  5,  1916. 

"For  four  years  I  suffered  with  a  running  tubercular  hip. 
I  consulted  different  specialists  without,  however,  obtaining 
any  relief.  Finally,  after  spending  the  best  part  of  two  years 
in  the  City  Hospital,  I  decided  to  begin  a  Novena  to  Our 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  in  the  Mission  Church.  On  the 
third  day  I  felt  a  tingling  sensation  in  the  afflicted  part.  At 
the  end  of  the  Novena  the  wound  was  healed  and  my  general 
health  much  improved.  The  doctors  who  treated  me  in  the 
City  Hospital  expressed  their  surprise  and  attest  that  the 
abscesses  have  entirely  disappeared." 


Appended  to  this  statement  we  find  the  following 
remark  by  the  reverend  editor  of  the  Annals : 

"The  writer  had  seen  and  spoken  with  this  gentleman 
every  week  for  a  year,  and  testifies  to  the  truth  of  the  cure. 
The  most  remarkable  point  in  this  case  is  that  on  each  Feast 
of  Our  Blessed  Lady,  as  the  young  man  kneels  at  the  Shrine, 
he  feels  a  short  quick  pain  pass  through  the  former  afflicted 
member.  It  is  a  reminder  to  him,  no  doubt,  from  Our  Lady 
of  Perpetual  Help  of  her  favor." 


The  following  letters  tell  their  own  story: 

"South  Boston,  Mass.,  April  2,  1917. 
"Dear  Father  : 

"I  am  the  little  girl  that  was  on  crutches  for  seven  weeks 
and  I  went  to  three  hospitals  and  didn't  get  any  better,  until 
I  went  to  the  Mission  Church,  and  the  third  Wednesday  I 
started  to  walk.  Thanks  be  to  God  and  to  you  Father  for 
blessing  me.  I  have  great  confidence  in  the  Mission  Church 
and  in  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help.  I  think  I  will  never 
forget  the  Mission  Church  or  you,  Father,  for  I  was  not  abl<* 
to  walk  one  step  when  I  went  there. 

"I  have  left  my  crutches  at  the  Shrine." 


THE  SHRINE  323 

"Sharon,  Mass.,  June  22, 1917. 
"Dear  Father  : 

"A  line  telling  you  how  I  was  cured  of  a  decayed  foot  by 
Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help. 

"While  carrying  a  ladder  on  my  shoulder,  I  turned  on  my 
left  ankle  and  hurt  it  so  much  that  in  a  few  weeks  I  was 
obliged  to  see  a  doctor.  He  examined  my  ankle  and  told  me 
that  a  slight  operation  would  be  necessary.  If  this  operation 
did  not  succeed,  then  the  foot  as  far  as  above  the  ankle 
would  have  to  be  amputated.  The  slight  operation  was  per- 
formed, but  without  results.  My  ankle  started  to  decay  and 
there  was  a  hole  in  my  foot  as  big  as  my  fist.  I  paid  the 
doctor  another  visit,  and  this  time  he  said  the  entire  foot 
would  have  to  be  amputated,  in  order  to  save  my  life. 

"I  objected  and  told  him  that  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help 
would  cure  me.  I  made  a  Novena  to  Our  Blessed  Lady  and 
received  no  answer  to  my  prayers,  I  made  a  second  Novena 
and  my  favor  was  not  granted.  I  made  a  third  Novena,  and 
on  the  first  day  I  was  able  to  walk  a  little,  and  at  the  end  of 
nine  days  my  decayed  foot  received  new  life  and  I  am  able 
to  walk  without  the  use  of  a  cane. 

"I  am  now  cured  and  I  owe  all  to  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 
Help.  The  doctor,  who  had  no  hopes  when  I  went  to  see 
him,  said  that  it  was  nothing  else  than  a  miracle. 

"I  am  going  to  leave  my  cane  at  the  Shrine.  With  many 
thanks  to  the  Blessed  Mother  of  God,  Our  Lady  of  Per- 
petual Help,  for  having  cured  me  and  for  having  saved  my 
life." 

The  custom  introduced  years  ago  of  having  special 
devotions  at  the  Shrine  every  Wednesday  afternoon  is 
still  continued.  Invariably  the  church  is  packed,  and 
frequently  there  is  a  large  overflow  on  the  sidewalk. 
Except  at  Lourdes,  such  a  manifestation  of  faith  and 
devotion  to  the  Mother  of  God  could  hardly  be  sur- 
passed anywhere  in  the  world.  The  specimens  of 
human  affliction  and  woe  that  sadden  the  eye,  bring 
forcibly  to  mind  the  mournful  words  of  the  prophet 
Job,  "  Man  ...  is  rilled  with  many  miseries." 

The  three  palmary  days  of  the  year  at  the  Shrine 


324       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

are  the  Feasts  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  of  OUT 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  and  of  the  Assumption. 
The  last  is  the  banner  day.  It  seems  to  be  a  pious 
belief  with  the  faithful  that  they  will  surely  obtain  any 
favor  they  ask  for  on  the  anniversary  of  the  day  on 
which  Our  Blessed  Lady  was  crowned  Queen  of 
Heaven.  If  every  Wednesday  the  crowd  is  so  great 
that  extra  cars  have  to  be  run  on  Tremont  Street,  one 
may  imagine,  or  rather  one  may  not  imagine,  what 
enormous  multitudes  come  to  the  church  on  this  beauti- 
ful feast,  on  which  the  Mother  of  Perpetual  Help 
achieved  her  eternal  triumph. 

On  August  15, 1917,  a  priest  from  a  distant  diocese 
was  the  guest  of  the  Fathers.  He  had  heard  a  great 
deal  about  the  vast  crowds  that  frequent  the 
Shrine  in  search  of  health  or  other  blessing,  but  he 
was  somewhat  incredulous,  and  determined  to  see  for 
himself.  Shortly  after  two  o'clock,  almost  a  full  hour 
before  the  exercises  began,  he  took  a  seat  at  one  of 
the  windows  of  the  library,  from  which  he  could  com- 
mand a  good  view  of  the  entrance  to  the  church.  As 
the  cars  reached  there  nearly  every  passenger  alighted. 
For  fifty  minutes  the  priest  watched,  almost  dumb 
with  amazement,  the  ceaseless  tide  of  humanity  which 
flowed  in  through  the  great  doors.  Shortly  after  three 
o'clock,  he  left  the  library  and  proceeded  to  the  church, 
but  it  took  him  a  considerable  time  to  force  his  way 
through  the  vestibule  and  to  reach  the  staircase  leading 
to  the  organ-loft.  Had  he  not  been  a  priest,  he  would 
never  have  succeeded  in  doing  so.  As  he  looked  down 
on  the  immense  throngs,  he  could  with  difficulty  con- 
trol his  emotion.  .With  kindling  eye  he  exclaimed, 
"  This  is  truly  wonderful  I  I  am  absolutely  convinced 
now  that  there  was  not  the  slightest  exaggeration 
about  this  matter.  You  could  walk  on  the  heads  of  the 
people.  Where  are  the  aisles  ?  All  I  can  see  is  one 


THE  SHRINE  825 

impenetrable  jam  of  humanity."  Such  in  fact  was 
the  case.  The  people  seemed  as  numerous  as  autum- 
nal leaves  in  Vallombrosa.  It  was  almost  incon- 
ceivable that  even  one  more  person  could  have  found 
a  place  in  the  church. 

During  the  Great  War  there  was  a  notable  increase 
of  visitors  to  the  Shrine.  Fathers,  mothers,  wives,  and 
sisters,  who  had  sons  or  husbands  or  brothers  "  over 
there,"  flocked  from  all  quarters  to  the  Sacred  Image, 
there  to  pray  for  the  safe  return  of  their  loved  ones. 
The  boys  at  the  front  who  had  been  wounded,  were 
writing  home,  asking  their  relatives  and  friends  to 
make  novenas  and  to  have  Masses  said  for  them  in 
honor  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help.  Every  day 
after  the  eight  o'clock  Mass,  the  school  children  sang 
a  hymn  in  honor  of  the  Mother  of  Perpetual  Help,  so 
adapted  as  to  contain  a  beautiful  and  touching  peti- 
tion for  the  spiritual  and  temporal  welfare  of  the  sol- 
diers and  the  sailors. 

One  of  the  brave  lads  writes  in  the  Annals  for  1919  : 

"I  am  a  member  of  the  United  States  Naval  Reserve  Force, 
and  have  been  in  the  service  of  my  country  more  than  a  year. 
During  this  period  I  have  been  spared  from  all  dangers  and 
I  thank  Almighty  God  and  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  for 
this  good  fortune.  Last  March  I  made  a  Novena  to  Our 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  with  the  intention  of  obtaining  an 
advancement  in  my  position.  My  prayers  were  answered, 
for  in  the  following  month  I  received  notification  that  my 
rating  had  been  changed  from  Yeoman  2nd  class  to  Yeoman 
1st  class.  Again,  I  made  another  Novena  to  Our  Lady  of 
Perpetual  Help  during  the  month  of  August  with  the  inten- 
tion of  being  Chief  Yeoman.  This  day  I  have  received  my 
papers  notifying  me  that  I  have  been  made  a  Chief  Yeoman. 
All  this  success  I  attribute  to  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help, 
and  with  her  aid  I  hope  and  pray  that  my  comrades  and  I 
will  return  safe  to  our  homes  after  this  terrible  world  con- 
flict is  ended.  . " 


326       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

In  the  same  issue  we  find  the  following  communica- 
tion: 

"My  boy,  who  is  in  the  service  of  the  country,  was  saved 
in  the  Halifax  explosion  just  by  a  miracle,  and  as  he  always 
carries  with  him  the  medal  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help, 
he  wished  me  to  make  a  thanksgiving  offering  to  the  Blessed 
Virgin.  He  is  just  home  on  a  furlough  and  made  this  re- 
quest." 

Another  lover  of  Mary  in  acknowledging  her  gra- 
cious aid  said: 

"Will  you  please  offer  up  a  Mass  in  honor  of  Our  Lady  of 
Perpetual  Help  in  thanksgiving  for  a  favor  which  I  firmly 
believe  is  due  to  the  aid  of  her  powerful  intercession? 

"A  young  soldier  did  not  return  with  his  company  and  no 
definite  information  concerning  him  could  be  obtained. 
Shortly  afterwards,  we  invoked  the  aid  of  Our  Lady  of  Per- 
petual Help,  making  a  Novena  to  her.  Very  soon  we  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  him  written  from  a  hospital  at  St. 
Nazaire.  Although  he  had  to  return  to  the  hospital  after 
having  been  discharged,  he  has  now  come  back  safely  to  his 
home,  his  recovery  being  complete,  from  an  attack  of  in- 
fluenza, an  abscess  on  his  face,  and  a  sore  on  his  eye. 

"His  recovery  and  safe  return  to  this  country  took  place 
in  such  a  remarkably  short  space  of  time,  that  I  believe  much 
praise  and  thanks  are  due  to  Our  Blessed  Mother." 

A  little  boy  whose  young  life  had  been  clouded  with 
sorrow,  thus  naively  voices  his  sentiments  of  love  and 
gratitude : 

"Enclosed  you  will  find  an  offering  for  the  Shrine  in 
thanksgiving  to  the  Mother  of  Perpetual  Help  for  her  many 
favors  bestowed  on  my  family. 

"I  myself  was  lame,  and  after  visiting  the  Mission  Church 
several  times  and  praying  to  our  Dear  Mother,  I  am  now 
cured,  and  this  week  I  am  making  the  mission  with  the  rest 
of  the  boys. 

"My  two  brothers  have  been  in  the  service.  One  has  been 
overseas  and  has  been  in  the  thickest  of  the  fray.  He  was 


THE  SHRINE  327 

gassed  and  had  pneumonia,  but  now,  thanks  to  the  inter- 
cession of  Our  Blessed  Lady,  he  is  well  again  and  is  to  sail 
for  home  next  week  with  his  division. 

"My  other  brother  was  at  the  point  of  death  with  the  in- 
fluenza, but  after  many  prayers  to  Our  Mother  of  Perpetual 
Help,  he  recovered,  and  has  returned  home. 

"I  forgot,  dear  Father,  to  tell  you  that  I  left  my  crutches 
in  the  Mission  Church.  So  you  see  I  have  much  to  thank  Our 
Dear  Mother  for,  and  the  words  of  St.  Bernard  seem  true 
in  my  case,  for  I  have  never  found  her  wanting  any  time  I 
called  upon  her." 

The  Boston  Globe  in  an  interesting  article  on  the 
Shrine,  in  its  issue  for  August  3,  1919,  said  in  part: 

"The  unusual  interest  created  in  this  city  as  well  as  other 
places  recently  in  the  subject  of  faith  cures  and  assistance 
obtained  by  faith,  draws  attention  to  the  many  remarkable 
occurrences  of  this  character  which  are  recorded  over  a 
period  of  many  years  at  special  shrines  and  altars  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church. 

"From  the  beginning  of  Christianity  there  are  in  Catholic 
Church  annals,  records  of  remarkable  cures  brought  about 
by  devotion  and  faith,  and  down  through  the  ages  early  in- 
cidents have  been  supplemented  time  and  again  in  this  coun- 
try, and,  in  fact,  here  in  Boston. 

"The  Shrine,  before  which  the  most  remarkable  cases  of 
cures  and  assistance  have  been  recorded  in  New  England  is 
that  at  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  better 
known  as  the  Mission  Church,  on  Tremont  Street,  just  above 
Roxbury  Crossing,  in  which  edifice  stands  the  Shrine  of 
Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
sanctuaries  in  this  part  of  the  country.  Here  within  the 
sanctuary  rail  are  countless  evidences  of  what  has  been  done 
by  Divine  assistance  through  the  devotion  of  those  who  have 
sought  aid  through  prayer.  Week  after  week  services  are 
held  at  which  thousands  are  present,  and  Novenas  and 
Triduums  are  made  by  countless  hundreds  to  the  Blessed 
Mother  of  Perpetual  Help,  that  she  may  intercede  with  her 
Divine  Son  to  bring  relief  and  comfort  to  those  afflicted  ones 
who  seek  her  aid. 

"Almost  from  the  time  this  magnificent  church  on  Tremont 


328       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Street  in  Roxbury  was  erected  many  years  ago,  this  Shrine 
to  the  Mother  of  Perpetual  Help  has  been  in  existence. 

"On  two  huge  stands,  one  at  each  side  of  the  Shrine,  are 
almost  all  things  known  in  the  surgical  appliance  line,  all 
bearing  their  mute  testimony  of  what  has  been  done  through 
Divine  favor.  .  .  . 

"While  hundreds  of  people  visit  the  church  and  the  Shrine 
every  day  of  the  week,  it  is  on  Wednesday  afternoons  in  par- 
ticular that  enormous  numbers  go  there.  It  is  on  that  after- 
noon each  week  that  a  special  service  in  relation  to  this 
Shrine  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  is  conducted.  .  .  . 

"Mothers  seeking  aid  and  assistance  for  their  little  ones 
wend  their  way  weekly  to  the  Mission  Church,  fathers  and 
mothers  offer  their  earnest  prayers  for  sons  or  daughters, 
children  pray  for  the  relief  of  their  parents,  and  endless 
chains  of  prayers  are  being  offered  to  bring  relief  to  some 
suffering  one." 


In  1919,  a  little  boy  suffering  from  a  case  of  tongue- 
tie  which  the  doctors  had  declared  incurable,  received 
perfect  freedom  of  tongue  after  his  mother  had  made 
a  novena  to  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help. 

On  the  Feast  of  the  Assumption,  1920,  a  party  of 
pilgrims  came  from  Worcester  and  Clinton,  Mass., 
to  pray  before  the  Shrine  and  to  receive  the 
blessing  bestowed.  They  left  home  at  half  past  four 
in  the  morning,  heard  Mass  and  received  Holy  Com- 
munion in  the  Mission  Church,  and  remained  till  even- 
ing. Most  of  them  assisted  at  two  or  three  Masses 
and  spent  hours  in  prayer  before  the  Shrine.  Again, 
just  before  three  o'clock  the  same  day  an  elderly 
woman  stopped  one  of  the  Fathers  in  the  vestibule  of 
the  church,  told  him  that  she  had  come  all  the  way 
from  South  Carolina  in  order  to  make  a  novena  before 
the  Shrine,  and  asked  where  she  could  get  some  litera- 
ture treating  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help.  An- 
other woman  in  search  of  a  special  favor  journeyed 
all  the  way  from  Toronto,  Canada. 


THE  SHRINE  829 

In  August,  1920,  the  following  statement  was  re- 
ceived from  a  woman  living  at  Norwood,  Mass. : 

"I  had  a  growth  in  my  nose.  After  treating  for  two 
months  with  a  throat-  and  nose-doctor,  during  which  time 
piece  after  piece  was  cut  out  of  my  nose,  he  said  he  could  do 
nothing  for  me.  I  was  then  sent  to  a  hospital  where  they 
operated  on  me  for  cancer  in  the  nose  and  face.  In  October, 
I  went  home,  but,  as  it  started  to  grow  again,  I  returned  to 
the  hospital  and  had  it  burnt  with  radium.  I  was  treated  in 
this  way  until  May,  but  as  it  was  growing  worse  all  the  tune 
I  begged  them  to  operate  on  me  again.  As  they  thought  I 
was  dying  and  saw  no  hopes  for  me,  they  did  not  want  to  do 
it.  I  finally  succeeded  in  getting  another  doctor  to  operate 
on  me,  but  in  the  meanwhile  my  family  and  myself  started  a 
Novena  to  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help.  When  the  doctor 
operated,  he  took  away,  as  he  said,  'half  my  head.'  This  is 
not  noticeable  from  the  outside  except  for  a  hole  about  the 
size  of  a  dime  under  my  eye,  but  on  the  inside  there  is  a  big 
hole  in  the  roof  of  my  mouth ;  the  bone  under  my  eye  is  almost 
gone,  and  the  bone  of  my  nose  partly  gone.  They  gave  me 
three  weeks  to  live.  That  was  in  May,  1919.  They  treated 
me  at  the  Radium  Hospital  until  June  26.  After  that, 
though  I  returned  to  the  hospital  every  week,  I  did  not  receive 
any  more  treatment. 

"I  thank  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus  and  the  Blessed  Virgin 
Mary  for  having  cured  me,  for  the  doctor  said  he  never  had 
a  case  like  mine,  nor  had  he  ever  before  heard  of  one  that  was 
cured." 

Since  the  Miraculous  Picture  of  the  Mother  of 
of  Mercy  and  Consoler  of  the  Afflicted  was  installed 
in  the  church,  nearly  two  generations  have  come  and 
gone,  yet  the  devotion  of  the  faithful  to  Her  is  not 
only  as  fresh,  as  verdant  and  as  vigorous  today  as  it 
was  fifty  years  ago,  but  its  roots  have  struck  deeper 
and  deeper  into  the  earth,  it  has  risen  higher  and 
higher,  and  its  branches,  spreading  farther  and  wider 
with  the  passing  hours,  have  afforded  beneficent  shel- 
ter and  protection  to  ever-increasing  multitudes  of 
the  footsore,  weary  and  oppressed. 


When  we  have  returned  to  the  dust  whence  we  were 
taken,  generations  as  yet  unborn  will  kneel  before  the 
Shrine  and  confide  their  woes  and  sorrows  to  Her  who 
has  never  been  invoked  in  vain.  "Behold  from  hence- 
forth all  generations  shall  call  me  blessed."  From  the 
depths  of  their  crushed  and  broken  hearts  they  will 
implore  her  gracious  aid,  and  from  her  bright  throne, 
She  who  rules  the  heart  of  Him  who  made  and  rules 
the  Universe,  will  turn  her  eyes  of  mercy  towards 
them,  and  smile  down  benignly  on  them  till  their  year 
is  one  perpetual  spring.  When  storm  clouds  lower 
and  darkness  encircles  them,  when  thunder  rolls  and 
lightning  flashes,  when  their  frail  bark  is  at  the  mercy 
of  the  wild  winds  and  of  the  angry  waves,  when  all 
seems  dark  and  hopeless  and  lost,  suddenly  there  will 
be  a  rift  in  the  clouds,  and  in  the  opening  the  sorrow- 
ing children  of  Mary  will  discern  the  sweet  face  of 
the  Mother  of  Perpetual  Help,  who,  by  the  bright 
light  that  beams  from  her  pure  eyes,  will  lead  them 
safely  onward,  past  rocks  and  shoals  and  dangerous 
whirlpools,  and  conduct  them  at  last  into  the  calm  and 
placid  haven  of  life  eternal,  where  the  winds  will  die 
away,  the  clouds  will  break  and  vanish,  and  the  Sun  of 
Justice  will  shine  down  gloriously  on  theni  forever  and 
for  aye. 

"Ave  Maria  !     'tis  the  evening  hymn 
Of  many  pilgrims  on  the  land  and  sea; 
Soon  as  the  day  withdraws,  and  two  or  three 
Faint  stars  are  burning,  all  whose  eyes  are  dim, 
With  tears  or  watching,  all  of  weary  limb 
Or  troubled  spirit  yield  the  bended  knee, 
And  find,  O  Virgin,  life,  repose  in  thee." 


IN    THE    FOOTSTEPS    OF    THE    GREAT 
MISSIONARY. 

"With  Him  there  is  plentiful  redemption."  Psalm 
29:7. 

High  up  among  "  The  Glories  of  Mary  in  Boston," 
we  must  place  the  missions  and  other  spiritual  exer- 
cises given  by  the  Fathers  of  the  community  during 
the  past  fifty  years,  for,  in  the  last  analysis,  these 
labors  have  been  directed  to  spreading  the  kingdom 
of  Our  Divine  Lord  on  earth,  and  consequently  to 
making  His  Blessed  Mother  better  known  and  loved. 
But,  in  order  to  estimate  aright  the  work  of  the 
missionaries,  it  will  be  necessary  to  outline  briefly  the 
growth  of  the  Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy  Re- 
deemer, especially  in  this  country,  its  specific  end, 
and  the  characteristic  points  of  its  system  of  missions. 

The  Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer 
was  founded  November  9,  1732,  at  Scala,  Italy,  by 
St.  Alphonsus  de  Ligouri.  Within  ten  years  per- 
manent establishments  were  effected  at  Nocera, 
Ciorani,  Iliceto,  and  Caposele,  in  Italy.  In  1749 
Pope  Benedict  XIV  approved  the  society  under  the 
title  of  the  "  Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy  Re- 
deemer." The  King  of  Naples,  however,  would  not 
sanction  tKe  institute ;  hence  the  houses  in  his  domain 
were  not  amalgamated  with  those  in  the  papal  states 
until  1793,  when  a  union  was  established  by  the 
Superior  General  of  the  Congregation,  the  Most 
Rev.  Peter  Paul  Blassucci.  During  the  next  six 
years  several  new  foundations  were  obtained  in 


different  parts  of  southern  Italy  and  of  Sicily,  and 
the  Congregation,  though  subjected  to  grave  trials 
and  to  bitter  persecution,  nevertheless  met  with 
gratifying  success. 

The  first  Redemptorist  house  outside  of  Italy  was 
founded  at  Warsaw,  Poland,  in  1786,  by  Saint 
Clement  Hofbauer,  who  became  a  member  of  the 
institute,  March  19,  1785,  about  two  years  and  a  half 
before  the  death  of  St.  Alphonsus. 

In  1832  the  Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy 
Redeemer  was  set  up  in  America.  Four  years  before, 
the  Very  Rev.  Frederick  Rese,  Vicar-General  of 
Cincinnati,  had  gone  to  Europe,  in  order  to  solicit 
pecuniary  aid  and  to  obtain  laborers  for  his  diocese. 
While  in  Vienna,  he  addressed  himself  to  the  Very 
Rev.  Joseph  Passerat,  at  that  time  Vicar-General  of 
the  Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer.  The 
latter  sent  three  Fathers  and  three  lay  brothers  to 
the  United  States.  The  Fathers  were  the  Rev.  Simon 
Saenderl,  the  Rev.  Francis  X.  Haetscher,  and  the 
Rev.  Francis  X.  Tschenhens.  They  landed  at 
New  York,  June  20,  1832,  the  eve  of  Corpus 
Christi. 

These  hardy  pioneers,  whose  names  are  robed  in 
unfading  light,  after  laboring  for  four  years  among 
the  whites  and  the  Indians  of  northern  Michigan  and 
northern  Ohio,  established  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  in 
1836,  the  first  Redemptorist  house  on  the  American 
continent.  With  astonishing  rapidity  new  founda- 
tions were  obtained  in  the  following  order:  in  Pitts- 
burgh, 1839;  in  Baltimore,  1841;  in  New  York, 
1842;  in  Philadelphia,  1843;  at  St.  Mary's,  Elk  Co., 
Pa.,  1844;  at  Monroe,  Michigan,  1844;  in  Buffalo, 
1845;  in  Detroit,  1847;  in  New  Orleans,  1847;  at 
Cumberland,  Md.,  1849.  In  1850  the  American 
houses  were  erected  into  a  separate  Province,  of 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    333 

which  the  Very  Rev.  Bernard  Hafkenscheid,  who 
had  been  Vice-Provincial  since  December  8,  1848, 
was  appointed  Superior. 

Twenty- five  years  later,  there  were  17  houses;  and 
in  1875,  the  American  Province  was  divided.  The 
13  establishments  in  the  East  went  to  form 
the  Province  of  Baltimore;  the  4  in  the  West, 
the  Province  of  St.  Louis.  The  former  Prov- 
ince today  numbers  22  houses  in  the  United  States, 
to  which  are  affiliated  as  a  Vice-Province  6 
other  houses:  3  in  Porto  Rico  and  3  in  the  West 
Indies.  The  Province  of  St.  Louis  at  present  com- 
prises 21  establishments.  Thus  there  are  today  in 
the  United  States  proper  43  Redemptorist  houses. 
The  membership  of  the  two  Provinces  is  approxi- 
mately as  follows :  Baltimore  Province :  Priests,  256 ; 
professed  students,  103;  professed  lay  brothers,  96; 
St.  Louis  Province:  Priests,  163;  professed  students, 
38;  professed  lay  brothers,  55.  It  would  be  highly 
interesting  to  trace  at  greater  length  the  growth  of 
the  Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer  in 
this  country,  but  to  do  so  would  be  aside  from  the 
purpose  of  this  work  and  would  carry  us  too  far 
afield. 

The  Redemptorists  are  essentially  a  missionary 
society  founded  for  the  specific  purpose  of  evangel- 
izing the  most  abandoned  souls,  in  imitation  of  Him 
who  "came  to  save  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of 
Israel." 

The  first  Redemptorist  mission  ever  given  on 
American  soil  was  preached  in  August,  1832,  to  the 
German  Catholics  of  Norwalk  and  Tiffin,  Ohio,  by 
the  Rev.  Francis  X.  Haetscher.  The  pioneer  Fathers 
devoted  themselves  to  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the 
children  of  the  Fatherland,  because  at  that  time  they 
were  the  most  abandoned  souls  in  this  country. 


334       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Within  20  or  30  years  they  had  come  in  large  num- 
bers to  the  United  States;  but,  unfortunately,  they 
found  few  priests  here,  comparatively  speaking,  who 
knew  their  language.  The  sad  result  was  that  many 
of  them,  left  without  the  saving  ministrations  of  the 
Church,  had  fallen  away  from  the  faith.  Hence  it 
was  incumbent  on  the  Fathers  to  tend  to  their  wants. 
This  they  did  faithfully  and  well,  but  not  so  much  by 
giving  missions  in  the  accepted  sense  of  the  term,  as 
by  performing  the  ordinary  parochial  functions.  In 
the  early  days  the  fewness  of  the  laborers  prevented 
the  preaching  of  missions  to  any  great  extent.  How- 
ever, from  1832  to  1848,  the  Redemptorists  in  the 
United  States  gave  27  missions,  besides  visiting  at 
regular  intervals  about  70  mission- stations.  In  the 
course  of  years  the  number  of  Fathers  constantly 
increased,  so  that  by  1851,  there  were  about  40 
Redemptorist  priests  in  the  country;  and  it  be- 
came possible  for  a  considerable  percentage  of 
them  to  devote  themselves  to  the  work  of  the 
missions. 

In  March  of  that  year  the  Very  Rev.  Bernard 
Hafkenscheid,  who  had  just  returned  from  Europe, 
actively  took  up  his  duties  as  Provincial.  "Father 
Bernard,"  as  he  was  generally  called,  was  born 
December  12,  1807,  at  Amsterdam,  Holland.  In  1828 
he  went  to  the  Eternal  City,  where  at  the  Roman 
College,  conducted  by  the  Jesuit  Fathers,  he  was  a 
classmate  of  the  illustrious  Pontiff  Leo  XIII.  Father 
Bernard  was  ordained  priest  on  March  17,  1832,  and 
shortly  afterwards  was  admitted  into  the  Congrega- 
tion of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer,  in  which  he  made 
his  religious  profession,  October  7,  1833.  The  follow- 
ing August  he  began  his  missionary  career,  and  so 
great  were  his  zeal,  eloquence,  and  apostolic  courage 
that  he  became  famous  throughout  Belgium  and 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    385 

Holland.  He  was  a  man  of  solid  judgment,  of  keen 
intellect,  and  of  vast  learning;  he  had  a  magnificent 
pulpit-presence  and  a  charming  personality;  even 
men  who  hated  religion  and  its  ministers,  freely  con- 
ceded his  extraordinary  ability. 

As  soon  as  Father  Bernard  assumed  charge  of  the 
American  province,  the  preaching  of  missions  was 
placed  on  a  fixed  and  settled  basis,  and  received  a 
mighty  impulse,  the  force  of  which  is  felt  even  to 
this  day.  Within  six  or  seven  years  the  Fathers 
trained  in  his  school,  gave  86  missions  in  as  many  as 
22  dioceses,  and  everywhere  won  golden  praise  from 
Bishops,  priests,  and  laymen.  However,  until  1866, 
there  was  no  Redemptorist  mission-house  in  the 
exclusive  sense  of  the  term,  in  the  United  States,  for 
wherever  the  Fathers  had  obtained  a  foundation,  they 
had  been  obliged  by  the  exigencies  of  time  and  of 
place  to  assume  parochial  duties.  But  in  that  year 
the  first  mission  center  strictly  so  called  was  estab- 
lished in  St.  Louis ;  the  second,  was  founded  the  same 
year  at  St.  Alphonsus'  Church,  N.  Y.;  the  third,  in 
Boston,  in  1871.  By  that  time  there  were  three  or 
four  large  bands  of  missionaries  in  the  field,  and  it 
was  feasible  in  all  respects  to  conduct  missions 
according  to  the  admirable  system  devised  by  St. 
Alphonsus. 

A  mission  is,  as  we  all  know,  an  extraordinary 
grace  for  the  people  of  a  parish.  The  missionaries, 
specially  educated  and  trained  for  their  work,  go  to 
the  church  at  the  invitation  of  the  pastor  and  with 
the  permission  of  the  Bishop,  and  with  solemn  and 
impressive  ceremonies  open  the  mission.  At  the 
very  outset  they  address  a  powerful  appeal  to  all 
the  people  of  the  parish  to  make  the  mission  with 
fervor  and  fidelity,  and  not  to  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  Him 
who  is  standing  at  the  door  of  their  heart  and  knock- 


336       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

ing.  Sin  and  vice  are  attacked  from  all  sides,  and 
the  ministers  of  evil  are  fought  without  quarter  or 
compromise.  Plain  and  strong  language,  such  as 
Christ  Himself  used  in  denouncing  sin,  is  employed ; 
yet  there  is  no  personal  abuse  of  the  sinner.  The 
missionaries  make  it  a  point  to  be  informed  of  the 
peculiar  conditions  existing  in  the  locality,  so  as  to 
be  able  to  give  force  and  edge  to  their  words.  Their 
heavy  oratorical  guns  are  trained  on  the  abuses  that 
are  rife  and  rampant  in  the  place,  and  thus  the 
strongholds  of  Satan  are  reduced.  Stray  sinners  are 
sought  out  by  the  local  clergy.  Their  opposition  to 
making  the  mission  is  beaten  down  by  unanswerable 
arguments,  and  moral  compulsion  well-nigh  irre- 
si stable  is  brought  to  bear  on  them.  The  prayers 
and  the  material  cooperation  of  the  women  and  the 
children  are  enlisted,  to  get  the  men  to  make 
the  mission;  and  those  who  come  are  exhorted  to  use 
all  their  influence  with  the  absentees,  to  pre- 
vail on  them  to  attend.  A  public  sentiment  is  created 
against  those  who  obstinately  refuse  to  make  the 
mission;  they  are  pictured  as  brands  fit  for  the  burn- 
ing. Every  evening  during  the  exposition  of  the 
Blessed  Sacrament,  the  Our  Father  and  the  Hail 
Mary  are  recited  five  times  for  the  conversion  of 
sinners,  especially  of  those  recreant  and  hardened 
sinners  who  are  neglecting  to  correspond  with  the 
extraordinary  grace  of  the  mission.  During  the 
recitation  of  these  prayers,  the  church-bell  is  tolled 
with  ten  single  strokes,  which  typify  the  mourning 
and  weeping  of  Holy  Mother  Church  over  her  lost 
children. 

In  the  plan  of  sermons,  the  Eternal  Truths,  which 
naturally  fill  a  large  and  important  place,  are  supple- 
mented by  a  systematic  course  of  instructions  which 
embrace  the  main  obligations  of  the  Christian  life. 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    337 

In  particular,  the  married  and  the  single  of  both 
sexes  are  told  exactly  what  are  the  duties  of  their 
respective  states  of  life.  These  sermons,  called  the 
"  state  instructions,"  may  justly  be  regarded  as  the 
head  of  the  Redemptorist  system  of  missions;  the 
sermon  on  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  together  with 
the  dedicatory  exercises,  as  the  heart. 

On  every  Redemptorist  mission,  the  glories  of 
Mary  are  proclaimed  in  trumpet-tones  on  Saturday 
evening,  when  a  beautiful,  yet  practical  sermon  on 
her  powerful  patronage  is  preached,  followed  by  the 
dedication  to  Her  of  a  select  number  of  innocent 
children,  and  of  all  the  adults  who  are  making  the 
mission.  St.  Alphonsus  expressly  cautions  his 
priestly  sons  never,  under  any  consideration,  to  omit 
this  sermon.  No  matter  how  great  may  be  the  num- 
ber of  confessions  still  to  be  heard,  no  matter  how 
exhausted  the  missionaries  may  be,  no  matter  what 
peculiar  emergency  may  arise,  the  exercises  in  honor 
of  the  all-powerful  and  all-merciful  Mother  of  God 
are  always  held. 

The  most  wretched  and  depraved  sinners,  pro- 
vided they  have  the  will  to  change  their  lives,  are 
exhorted  to  have  recourse  to  her  with  unbounded 
confidence.  Over  and  over  again  they  are  told  that 
She  is  not  only  the  Mother  of  God,  and,  therefore, 
able  to  obtain  from  Him  whatever  She  desires,  but 
also  their  Mother,  so  rich  in  love  and  mercy  that  She 
cannot  refuse  to  hear  their  petitions.  They  are 
reminded  of  the  blessed  days  of  their  innocence, 
when  they  could  in  truth  call  her  "  Mother,"  and  they 
are  urged  to  return  to  those  happy  days,  by  solemnly 
dedicating  themselves  to  Her  to  be  her  dutiful  children 
thenceforth  forever.  A  magnificent  shrine,  adorned 
with  candles  and  flowers  offered  by  the  faithful,  is 
erected  in  honor  of  Our  Blessed  Lady,  and  is  sur- 


338       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

mounted,  of  course,  by  her  statue.  From  every 
corner  of  the  church,  her  fair  image,  breathing  hope 
and  instilling  confidence,  is  plainly  visible,  so  that  all 
may*  be  led  to  entrust  their  salvation  to  her  care.  Thus 
is  She  honored ;  thus  are  her  glories  sounded ;  thus  are 
thousands  of  souls  saved  through  her  gracious  inter- 
cession. It  was  on  this  beautiful  sermon  and  on  this 
touching  act  of  piety,  that  St.  Alphonsus  staked  his 
last  hope  for  the  conversion  of  sinners;  and  the 
experience  of  nearly  two  hundred  years  has  proved 
that  in  so  doing,  he  knew  the  human  heart  and  under- 
stood the  boundless  power  and  the  never-failing 
mercy  of  the  ever-Blessed  Mother  of  God. 

Another  noteworthy  feature  of  the  Redemptorist 
system  of  missions  consists  in  the  renewal  which  is 
usually  given  from  within  eight  months  to  a  year 
after  the  mission.  Just  as  Paul  and  Barnabas,  as 
we  know  from  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  returned 
from  time  to  time  to  the  faithful  to  whom  they  had 
preached  the  Gospel,  in  order  to  encourage  and 
confirm  them  in  the  practises  of  the  Christian  life,  so 
St.  Alphonsus  prescribed  that  his  missionaries  should, 
within  a  reasonable  time,  revisit  the  scene  of  their 
labors,  in  order  to  renew  and  perpetuate  the  good 
work  begun  during  the  mission.  Although  at  a 
renewal,  the  hours  of  the  exercises  are  generally  the 
same  as  at  a  mission,  the  sermons  and  instructions 
are  different.  To  one  who  asks,  What,  precisely,  is 
the  difference  between  a  mission  and  a  renewal?  we 
answer,  the  difference  is  about  the  same  as  that  be- 
tween fear  and  love,  between  an  act  of  imperfect  and 
an  act  of  perfect  contrition.  During  the  mission  the 
sinner  is  moved  to  forsake  sin  by  the  thought  of  the 
terrible  judgments  of  God;  during  the  renewal  he  is 
led  on  to  the  perfect  service  of  God  by  the  consider- 
ation of  His  infinite  Goodness  and  Amiability. 


NEW  ORGAN 
Installed  in  1897 


THE   CRIR   AT   CHRISTMAS        THE  SEPULCHRE  DURING  HOLY  WEEK 

(Upper)  (Lower) 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    339 

Grandly  preeminent  among  the  ceremonies  of 
the  renewal  is  the  Atonement  Service,  the  object  of 
which  is  to  make  reparation  to  Our  Lord  for  all  the 
insults,  outrages  and  profanations  heaped  on  Him 
in  the  Adorable  Sacrament  of  the  Eucharist.  At  the 
renewal  the  Blessed  Virgin  also  receives  appropri- 
ate honors.  The  subject  of  the  sermon  on  Saturday 
evening  is  generally  "The  Child  of  Mary."  The 
preacher,  after  bringing  his  hearers  back  in  spirit  to 
the  days  of  the  mission  and  reminding  them  of  the 
act  of  dedication  they  then  made  to  the  Queen  of 
Heaven,  discourses  on  the  excellence  and  grandeur 
of  her  prerogatives,  and  points  out  the  qualities  which 
should  shine  in  the  true  child  of  Mary.  Once  more 
he  drives  home  the  great  thought,  that  if  they  have 
recourse  to  Her  in  all  temptations,  they  shall 
win  a  glorious  victory  over  all  the  powers  of  hell ;  and 
that  if  they  endeavor  truly  to  honor  Her  by  imitating 
as  best  they  can,  her  splendid  virtues,  they  shall  one 
day  bless  Her  and  chant  her  praises  for  all  eternity  in 
Heaven. 

Since  so  tender  a  spirit  of  devotion  to  Our 
Blessed  Mother  is  one  of  the  characteristics  of 
Redemptorist  missions  and  renewals,  are  we  not 
justified  in  saying  that  the  missionary  activities  of 
the  Fathers  of  the  community  constitute  one  of  the 
great  Glories  of  Mary  in  Boston?  In  her  honor, 
therefore,  we  shall  treat  at  some  length  of  these  labors 
during  the  past  five  decades.  But  in  relating  certain 
remarkable  events  which  occurred  in  this  sphere,  the 
writer  is  far  from  wishing  to  create  the  impression 
that  the  missions  given  by  the  Fathers  of  this  house 
were  the  only  ones  which  produced  extraordinary 
results.  To  a  greater  or  less  degree,  every  mission 
works  wonders  in  the  moral  order,  for  a  mission  is, 
as  has  been  said,  an  extraordinary  grace  of  God,  and 


340       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

from  extraordinary  causes  extraordinary  effects 
naturally  flow.  We  mention  such  happenings  only 
because  they  may  be  of  interest  and  of  edification  to 
our  readers. 

The  first  mission  ever  given  by  this  community  was 
held  at  St.  James's  Church,  Boston,  of  which  the  Rev. 
James  A.  Healy  was  pastor.  It  opened  February  5, 
1871,  lasted  two  weeks,  and  was  for  the  men  only  of 
the  parish.  The  exercises  were  conducted  by  the  Rev. 
Fathers  Wissel,  Kreis,  Enright,  Koch,  Miller,  and 
O'Connor,  in  other  words,  by  all  the  Fathers  of  the 
community.  Although  it  was  less  than  two  years 
since  the  last  mission  (May  2-23,  1869),  the  attend- 
ance far  exceeded  the  broadest  calculations  of  the 
reverend  pastor  and  of  his  assistants;  and  was  a 
source  of  genuine  delight  to  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop 
Williams,  who  with  undiminished  interest  followed 
the  progress  of  the  mission  from  beginning  to  end. 
It  is  on  record  that  from  sanctuary  rail  to  door  the 
church  was  filled  with  earnest  men,  penetrated  with 
the  solemn  thought  so  trenchantly  expressed  in  the 
words  of  the  Infinite  Wisdom,  "For  what  shall  it 
profit  a  man,  if  he  gain  the  whole  world,  and  suffer 
the  loss  of  his  own  soul?"  The  enthusiasm  never 
flagged;  the  fervor  never  cooled.  Credit  for  the 
success  of  the  mission  belongs  in  no  small  degree  to 
Father  Healy  and  to  his  fellow-apostles,  Fathers 
Flatly  and  O'Brien.  In  obedience  to  the 
Gospel  injunction,  "  Go  out  into  the  highways  and 
hedges  and  compel  them  to  come  in,"  these  zealous 
priests  went  about  the  parish  day  after  day, 
to  round  up  the  laggards  and  stir  up  the  sluggards. 
Happily,  they  found  comparatively  few,  and  these 
they  succeeded  in  getting  to  make  the  mission.  While 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    341 

the  exercises  were  being  conducted  upstairs,  the 
women  of  the  parish  gathered  in  the  basement,  and 
with  heartfelt  fervor  prayed  to  Our  Dear  Lord,  the 
Dispenser  of  all  grace,  and  to  His  Holy  Mother,  the 
Refuge  of  Sinners,  to  touch  the  hearts  of  their  hus- 
bands, sons,  and  brothers  that  they  might  once  for 
all  and  forever  renounce  sin  in  all  its  forms  and 
guises.  At  the  close  of  the  exercises,  during  which 
2,146  men  approached  the  Sacraments,  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Bishop  Williams  gave  Solemn  Benediction.  As  the 
men  returned  to  their  happy  homes  on  the  closing 
night  of  the  mission,  the  sentiment  that  welled  up 
from  their  hearts  was,  "  God  bless  the  missionaries." 

From  March  5  to  16,  Fathers  Wissel,  Koch,  and 
Miller  assisted  at  the  women's  mission  at  the  Church 
of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer,  N.  Y.,  which  in  those 
days  had  a  very  large  congregation.  The  missionaries 
were  kept  busy  in  the  confessional  nearly  all  day 
long,  and  within  a  period  of  seven  days  4,000  con- 
fessions were  heard.  All  the  sermons  of  the  mission 
were  preached  in  German. 

A  day  or  two  after  the  close  of  this  mission,  the 
same  three  Fathers,  although  exhausted  from  their 
strenuous  labors,  journeyed  to  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
where  on  the  following  Sunday,  March  19,  they 
opened  a  mission  at  St.  Mary's  Church,  of  which  the 
Rev.  Father  Barker  was  pastor.  So  great  was  the 
rush  and  crush  of  penitents  that  Father  Enright  was 
summoned  from  Boston  to  help  in  hearing  con- 
fessions. Three  Redemptorist  Fathers  from  St. 
Joseph's  Church,  Rochester,  and  two  from  the 
Church  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer,  N.  Y.,  were 
also  pressed  into  service.  Quite  a  number  of  men 
got  excused  from  work  in  order  to  go  to  confession, 
but  even  at  that,  some  of  them  had  to  wait  nearly 


342       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

four  days  before  their  turn  came.  The  sacrifices  that 
many  of  the  people  made  to  attend  the  mission,  bor- 
dered on  the  heroic.  At  the  close  of  the  mission,  on 
April  2,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  McQuaid,  who  had  come 
to  administer  Confirmation  to  150  adults,  expressed 
great  gratification  at  the  success  which  had 
crowned  the  labors  of  the  missionaries. 

Two  weeks  later  Fathers  Enright  and  Koch  began 
a  renewal  in  a  certain  town  in  Pennsylvania.  The 
place  was  inhabited  largely  by  Lutherans  of  the  most 
bitter  type.  Some  of  them  came  to  the  exercises,  not 
with  the  intention  of  learning  the  Truth,  but  simply 
out  of  malicious  curiosity.  One  of  the  ministers  who 
attended  the  sermon  on  the  "True  Church,"  was  so 
much  offended  at  the  unsavory  disclosures  made  by 
the  preacher,  concerning  the  life  and  character  of  the 
so-called  reformers,  that  after  the  departure  of  the 
missionaries,  he  wrote  a  vicious,  venomous,  and  lying 
article  in  refutation  of  the  points  the  Father  had  so 
clearly  proved.  But  the  local  pastor,  a  brave,  able 
and  scholarly  priest,  answered  the  preacher  in  a 
pamphlet  which  riddled  every  specious  argument  he 
had  advanced.  The  bigoted  and  purblind  man  felt 
the  crushing  force  of  the  masterly  rejoinder,  and 
retired  utterly  discomfited.  But  in  spite  of  the 
bad  spirit  that  prevailed  in  the  town  a  considerable 
number  of  the  Lutherans  were  aroused  by  the 
preaching  of  the  missionaries  from  their  benighted 
state  of  ignorance  and  prejudice,  and  no  less  than 
40  of  them  were  received  into  the  Church.  In  a  place 
known  to  all  the  country  round  for  its  rabid  bigotry, 
this  was  certainly  extraordinary.  About  400  con- 
fessions were  heard  at  the  mission. 

On  April  30,  Fathers  Wissel,  Enright,  Gross, 
Koch,  Kreis,  and  O'Connor  opened  a  four  weeks' 
mission  at  the  Cathedral  of  St.  James,  Brooklyn, 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    343 

N.  Y.  The  parish,  the  oldest  in  the  city,  was  justly 
famous  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  there  the  Ancient 
Faith  flourished  in  all  its  pristine  vigor.  At  every 
exercise  of  the  mission,  there  was  a  tremendous 
attendance,  and  throughout,  the  enthusiasm  was  at 
the  boiling-point;  5,500  people  received  the  Sacra- 
ments and  6  converts  entered  the  Home  of  Light 
and  Truth.  The  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Loughlin,  a  sturdy 
aggressive  prelate  trained  in  the  school  of  the  great 
Archbishop  Hughes,  conceived  a  high  opinion  of 
Father  Wissel  and  spoke  in  no  uncertain  terms 
of  the  ability  shown  by  him  and  by  the  other  mis- 
sionaries. 

Their  labors  in  Brooklyn  over,  Fathers  Kreis, 
Gross,  and  Koch  grappled  with  the  powers  of  dark- 
ness in  a  one-week  mission,  May  29  to  June  5,  at  the 
Church  of  Saints  Peter  and  Paul,  Towanda,  Pa. 
In  everything  that  made  for  the  success  of  the  mis- 
sion, the  reverend  pastor  showed  himself  an  efficient 
helper ;  and  the  men  of  the  parish — hardy,  rough  and 
ready,  begrimed  miners — were  intensely  in  earnest 
from  first  to  last.  Notwithstanding  the  long  hours 
they  had  to  work,  they  turned  out  in  full  force  in  the 
early  morning  as  well  as  in  the  evening;  800  confes- 
sions were  heard,  practically  everybody  in  the  parish 
making  the  mission. 

After  giving  one  or  the  other  small  mission,  Father 
Wissel  journeyed  more  than  half  way  across  the 
country  to  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  in  order  to  preach 
a  retreat  to  the  diocesan  clergy.  At  all  the  con- 
ferences, the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Grace  was  an  attentive 
and  humble  listener.  Almost  immediately  after- 
wards, the  indefatigable  Redemptorist  went  to 
Prairie  du  Chien  to  perform  the  like  function  for  the 
priests  of  the  diocese  of  La  Crosse,  Wisconsin.  The 
Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Michael  Heiss,  subsequently  Arch- 


344       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

bishop  of  Milwaukee,  expressed  great  pleasure  at 
the  highly  creditable  manner  in  which  the  gifted  mis- 
sionary had  acquitted  himself  of  his  task. 

On  his  way  back  from  the  West,  Father  Wissel 
went  to  a  typical  railroad  town  in  Pennsylvania, 
where  in  company  with  Father  Enright,  he  began  a 
mission  on  August  9.  The  heat  was  scorching,  the 
thermometer  registering  100  degrees  in  the  shade; 
and,  to  add  to  the  discomfort,  the  church  was  packed. 
After  the  first  exercise  of  the  mission,  only  the 
women  were  admitted  into  the  church;  the  men  were 
told  to  stand  round  outside  at  the  open  windows. 
Under  such  conditions  one  might  have  expected 
them  to  stay  away;  but  such  was  emphatically  not 
the  case ;  they  attended  faithfully  to  the  end.  In  spite 
of  the  adverse  circumstances  that  surrounded  the 
mission,  the  people  were  so  well  satisfied  that  they 
selected  a  prominent  man  of  the  parish  to  deliver  an 
address  of  appreciation  and  congratulation  to  the 
missionaries.  Although  he  was  a  big,  strong,  husky 
man,  his  emotion  so  overmastered  him  that  he  had  to 
get  another  to  finish  reading  his  speech.  Two  rail- 
road conductors  were  exhorted  to  attend  the  mission ; 
one  refused,  the  other  came  regularly,  and  was 
invested  in  the  Scapulars.  Two  days  after  the  close 
of  the  mission,  their  trains  collided;  the  recusant  was 
instantly  killed,  the  faithful  attendant  escaped  unin- 
jured. During  the  mission,  a  large  number  of  young 
men  made  their  first  Communion;  450  confessions 
were  heard,  130  people  were  confirmed,  and  3  con- 
verts were  received  into  the  Church. 

During  September  all  the  Fathers  were  engaged 
either  on  missions  or  on  retreats.  October  opened 
with  a  big  mission  at  the  Church  of  St.  Lawrence, 
New  Bedford,  Mass.,  given  by  Fathers  Wissel, 
Rathke,  Koch,  and  O'Connor.  New  Bedford,  then 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    345 

the  seat  of  the  whaling-industry  in  New  England, 
was  a  thriving  town.  The  pastor  of  St.  Lawrence's 
was  the  Rev.  Lawrence  McMahon,  a  priest  of  great 
learning  and  piety,  who  was  consecrated  Bishop  of 
Hartford,  Conn.,  in  1879,  and  died  in  1893.  With 
edifying  sentiments  of  faith  and  piety,  2,300  people 
made  the  mission. 

While  this  mission  was  going  on,  another,  of  one 
week's  duration  was  being  conducted  by  Fathers 
Gross,  Enright,  and  Miller,  at  St.  Theresa's  Church, 
West  Roxbury,  Mass.,  of  which  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Magennis  was  pastor.  So  many  people  attended 
the  mission  that  during  the  evening  exercises  the 
Fathers  were  compelled  to  hear  the  confessions  of 
the  men  while  walking  up  and  down  outside. 

From  November  1  to  22,  Fathers  Gross,  Wissel, 
Rathke,  Koch,  and  O'Connor  preached  a  mission  at 
St.  Theresa's  Church,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  The  people 
took  the  keenest  personal  interest  in  the  mission. 
Morning,  noon,  and  night  it  was  the  only  topic  of 
conversation  in  almost  every  Catholic  household; 
4,600  of  the  faithful  made  the  mission,  and  as  many 
as  35  non-Catholics  submitted  to  the  Church. 

Near  the  end  of  the  year,  November  27— December 
18,  one  of  the  grandest  and  most  glorious  missions 
in  the  whole  history  of  the  community  was  conducted 
at  St.  James's  Church,  N.  Y.,  by  Fathers  Gross,  Wis- 
sel, Enright,  Rathke,  Koch,  and  Miller.  Moreover, 
three  other  Redemptorist  Fathers  assisted  in  the 
confessional;  one  from  New  York,  one  from  Phila- 
delphia, and  one  from  Annapolis,  Md.  The  immense 
number  of  8,130  confessions  were  heard,  and  36  con- 
verts were  received  into  the  Church.  One  point 
worthy  of  special  note  is,  that  the  missionaries  insisted 
so  strongly  on  the  obligation  of  Catholic  parents  to 
send  their  children  to  Catholic  schools,  that  in  one 


846       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

day  more  than  a  hundred  children  left  the  public 
school,  and  applied  for  admission  to  the  parochial 
school.  Before  the  end  of  the  mission,  the  number  of 
children  who  withdrew  from  the  public  schools  was 
so  great,  that  they  could  not  possibly  be  accommo- 
dated at  St.  James's  School,  and  had  to  be  sent  to  the 
neighboring  parochial  school  attached  to  the  Church 
of  the  Transfiguration.  The  missions  made  so  pro- 
found an  impression  that  the  New  York  Sun  for 
December  19,  1871,  devoted  a  whole  column  to  it  on 
the  front  page.  The  great  metropolitan  daily  said 
that  nearly  7,000  men  were  present  at  the  close  of 
the  mission.  This,  of  course,  was  an  exaggeration. 
At  most  there  were  not  more  than  4,000.  In  other 
respects,  however,  the  article  is  so  well  written  as  to 
merit  a  place  here: 

"Last  night  was  the  closing  night  of  the  Mission  which 
has  been  going  on  during  the  past  three  weeks  under  the  di- 
rection of  Father  Gross,  in  St.  James's  Church,  of  which  the 
Rev.  Father  Farrelly  is  pastor.  Such  a  jam  could  probably 
never  be  seen  in  any  other  place  than  a  Roman  Catholic 
Church  or  under  any  other  circumstances.  The  entire  body 
of  the  church  was  a  mass  of  heads,  curving  downward  where 
the  pews  were  and  upward  above  the  aisles;  the  immense 
galleries  were  mosaicked  with  them;  the  gallery  stairs  over- 
flowed with  humanity,  the  window  sills  held  all  they  could 
bear.  Men's  bodies  were  mortised  into  the  undulations  of 
other  men's  bodies  from  the  threshold  to  the  rails  of  the 
sanctuary;  they  were  crushed  up  against  the  walls  all 
around  and  streamed  out  through  the  street  doors,  and 
through  the  open  doors  of  the  vestry  on  both  sides  of  the 
altar.  Not  an  inch  of  room  was  to  spare  anywhere ;  not  an- 
other man  could  by  any  possibility  effect  an  entrance. 

"No  women  were  admitted,  though  many  gathered  on  the 
dirty  sidewalks  outside  and  waited  there  patiently  during 
the  services.  Perhaps  they  had  accompanied  a  reluctant 
brother  or  husband  or  lover.  The  men  inside  must  have 
numbered  nearly  seven  thousand.  Each  of  those  seven  thou- 
sand faces — faces  of  old  men,  of  young  men,  of  wealthy 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    347 

men,  of  laborers,  of  the  intelligent  and  of  the  ignorant  min- 
gled together — wore  an  expression  of  grave,  earnest  en- 
thusiasm which  was  infectious.  All  were  turned  toward  the 
altar.  Here  and  there  a  long  white  candle  sticking  up  be- 
tween the  heads  told  of  the  ceremony  which  was  coming. 

The  Altar  Decorations. 

"The  Church  is  elaborately  frescoed  and  ornamented 
throughout,  but  the  altar  was  magnificent  last  night  with 
tapers,  and  gas  jets,  and  flowers  in  the  form  of  crosses,  and 
wreaths,  and  other  beautiful  devices.  The  tabernacle  was 
arched  on  three  sides  with  two  rows  of  gas  jets,  large  and 
small.  In  front  of  it,  in  letters  of  fire,  appeared  the  word 

JESUS 

surmounted  by  a  cross  of  fire.  Another  and  larger  cross 
of  fire  blazed  above  it  beneath  the  fine  fresco  representing 
the  Crucifixion.  On  the  right  side  of  the  altar  a  dais  upheld 
a  statue  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  Its  many  steps  were  covered 
with  flowers  and  lighted  candelabra. 

"From  the  galleries  all  around  hanging  bunches  of  gas 
jets  shed  a  dim  light  on  the  scene.  The  effect  was  very  im- 
posing. 

"First,  the  congregation  said  the  rosary.  All  in  the 
pews  knelt  down ;  the  others  could  not  move.  One  of  the 
Redemptorist  Fathers  in  black  gown  and  broad  white  collar 
gave  it  out  and  the  entire  congregation  answered  in  a  voice 
like  the  roll  of  distant  thunder.  Then  a  choir  of  children 
sang  a  hymn,  and  Father  Gross  mounted  the  altar  steps  and 
delivered  an  eloquent  sermon  from  the  text:  'No  man  can 
serve  two  masters.' 

Father  Gross's  Sermon. 

"He  said  that  they  had  all  become  converted  and  for- 
saken their  evil  ways,  but  they  must  continue  in  their  good 
resolutions  henceforth.  God  had  sent  his  ministers  to  plead 
with  them ;  but  the  devil  also  had  his  visible  ministers  on 
earth  ever  ready  to  seize  upon  their  souls.  These  were  in 
the  rum  shop  and  in  the  bad  house.  Some  of  them  wrote 
books,  like  Renan,  who,  in  his  'Life  of  Jesus'  had  uttered  a 


blasphemy  which  devils  would  not  dare  to  utter;  he  had 
hinted  that  Christ  had  been  too  free  with  bad  women.  The 
Fourth  Ward  was  especially  full  of  them.  The  devil  held 
out  promises  of  pleasure ;  but  his  promises  were  cheats  and 
lies.  Look  at  the  drunkard's  home,  at  his  empty  purse,  at 
his  ragged  wife  and  his  dirty,  uneducated  children.  Where 
is  his  pleasure?  The  occasions  of  sin  must  be  avoided.  The 
rum  shops  and  the  bad  houses  must  never  be  entered  again. 
The  sacraments  must  be  approached  often.  The  greatest 
enemies  of  the  Catholic  Church  are  the  infidel  sons  of  Cath- 
olic parents.  That  they  are  infidels  is  the  fault  of  their 
fathers.  Women  are  generally  attentive  to  their  religious 
duties,  but  the  men  neglect  them.  The  son  wishing  to  be 
manly  imitates  his  father.  The  father  goes  to  the  rum  shop 
and  the  son  goes  there  too.  Fathers  will  be  held  responsible 
for  the  loss  of  their  sons'  souls.  Therefore,  the  mature  men, 
most  of  them  already  fathers,  who  composed  his  audience, 
must  promise  to  attend  their  religious  duties  regularly,  and 
give  good  example  to  their  children.  They  were  about  to 
renew  their  baptismal  vows.  At  the  solemn  moment  of  their 
baptism,  holding  a  lighted  taper  in  their  hand,  they  had 
promised  through  their  sponsors  to  renounce  the  devil  and 
all  his  works  and  pomps.  This  they  were  about  to  do  again, 
but  they  must  intend  to  keep  their  promise.  They  must  not 

Tell  a  Lie  to  Jesus  Christ. 

"The  preacher  continued  at  great  length  in  this  strain 
urging  his  hearers  to  be  good  and  honest  men.  He  drew  a 
forcible  picture  of  the  death  bed  of  a  sinner  on  one  hand 
and  of  a  just  man  on  the  other,  and  proved  that  even  on  this 
earth  the  good  are  truly  the  happiest.  He  was  listened  to 
with  the  greatest  attention  and  the  most  profound  silence 
throughout. 

"At  length  he  called  upon  the  congregation  to  hold  up 
their  candles  that  he  might  bless  them.  Then  there  was  a 
surging  of  that  vast  mass,  a  shuffling  of  paper  wrappings, 
and  7,000  white  candles  stood  relieved  against  the  sea  of 
heads.  Every  man  was  standing.  Putting  on  his  stole, 
Father  Gross  read  some  prayers  from  a  small  book,  and 
made  the  sign  of  the  cross  with  his  hand  toward  the  audience. 
'Light  your  candles,'  was  the  next  order.  Instantly  the 
crackling  of  7,000  matches  was  followed  by  7,000  small 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    349 

puffs  of  smoke,  and  7,000  twinkling  lights  brightened  up  the 
edifice  with  the  brilliancy  of  day,  bringing  out  the  character- 
istics of  each  head  into  startling  prominence.  The  silence 
was  oppressive.  It  was  a  scene  never  to  be  forgotten. 
Father  Gross  then  stepped  forward, 

"  'Do  you  renounce  the  devil?'  he  said.     'Answer  "Yes!" ' 

"There  came  a  response  of  thunder  that  fairly  shook  the 
rafters— 'Yes !' 

"It  was  as  if  but  one  voice  had  spoken,  and  then  there 
was  instant  silence  as  profound  as  the  grave. 

"  'Do  you  renounce  all  his  works  and  pomps  ?  Answer 
"I  do."  ' 

"  'I  do !'  burst  forth  again  like  the  explosion  of  a  heavy 
piece  of  artillery. 

"  'Will  you  faithfully  keep  the  promise  you  have  made 
and  henceforward  endeavor  to  be  good  and  honest  men? 
Answer  "I  will."  ' 

"  'I  will !'  shouted  the  congregation,  with  a  vehemence  that 
startled  the  echoes. 

"  'Will  you  here,  in  the  presence  of  Almighty  God,'  and 
Father  Gross  turned  half  round  and  raised  his  left  arm 
reverently  to  the  altar,  'promise  to  avoid  the  occasions  of 
sin  in  the  future;  to  keep  out  of  the  rum  shops  and  bad- 
houses  ?  Answer  "I  will !"  ' 

"  'I  will !'  thundered  the  7,000. 

"  'Will  you,  furthermore,  promise  to  approach  the  sacra- 
ments at  least  three  or  four  times  a  year,  and  to  say  your 
prayers  regulaily  ?  Answer  "I  will !"  ' 

"  'I  will !'  The  tones  were  unmistakably  earnest  and 
sincere. 

"  'Now  put  out  your  candles.' 

"The  7,000  Lights  Went  Out 

and  the   church  was   filled  with   smoke,   which   contrasted 
strongly  with  the  brilliancy  of  a  moment  before. 

"Then,  taking  off  his  stole,  Father  Gross  continued  his 
address.  He  said  that  every  candle  was  blessed,  and  ad- 
vised his  hearers  to  preserve  the  remnants,  that  every  time 
they  looked  upon  them  they  might  be  reminded  of  the  oaths 
they  had  just  taken.  He  thanked  the  congregation  for 
their  zeal  and  attention  during  the  mission,  and  Father 


350       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Farrelly  for  his  kindness  to  him  and  his  associates.  Then 
craving  their  forgiveness  if  he  had  given  any  offense  at  any 
time,  he  blessed  them,  their  children,  their  houses,  and  every- 
thing belonging  to  them.  Then  he  gave  them  the  Papal 
blessing,  everybody  kneeling  and  saying  five  Paters  and 
Aves,  in  order  to  gain  the  plenary  indulgence.  This  was  a 
very  impressive  ceremony,  the  reverend  father  having  his 
stole  on  and  making  the  sign  of  the  cross  with  a  crucifix. 
The  services  concluded  with  Benediction  of  the  Blessed  Sac- 
rament." 

The  Freeman's  Journal  also  carried  a  very 
appreciative  notice  of  the  mission,  from  which  we 
shall  quote  only  the  following  beautiful  apostrophe 
to  the  missionaries: 

"Persevere  in  your  work  of  grace,  O  Holy  Fathers  of  the 
Redemption,  among  the  dismal  homes,  the  reeking  alleys; 
beneath  the  squalor  of  rags  and  under  the  moan  of  slavery 
are  immortal  souls,  the  glory  of  whose  lifting  up  to  salva- 
tion will  shine  around  you  for  eternity,  when  your  work  is 
done,  and  this  world  of  sordid  earth  has  obliterated  your 
names  from  the  tablets  of  its  fitful  memory!" 

After  reading  this  glowing  description  of  the  great 
mission  in  New  York,  and  this  sincere  tribute  to  the 
"Holy  Fathers  of  the  Redemption,"  we  must  per- 
force admire  the  noble  work  done  by  the  missionaries 
who  formed  the  original  community  of  the  Boston 
house.  In  about  ten  months  and  a  half,  February  5- 
December  17,  they  gave  14  missions,  6  renewals,  and 
4  retreats.  Behold  the  record  of  the  Glories  of  Mary 
in  the  mission  field  during  the  first  year  of  the 
church's  existence! 

A  special  interest  attaches  to  one  of  the  missions 
given  in  1872,  from  the  fact  that  the  place  was  in- 
fested with  members  of  the  secret  society  known  as 
the  "  Molly  McGuires,"  who  had  bound  themselves  . 
by  an  iron-clad  oath,  which  barred  them  from  the 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    351 

Sacraments.  The  missionaries  faced  a  difficult  situ- 
ation, but,  firm  in  the  right,  they  presented  an 
adamantine  front  to  the  recalcitrant  element  of  the 
congregation.  With  apostolic  boldness,  they  an- 
nounced from  the  pulpit  that  the  "  Molly  Maguires  " 
could  not,  and,  therefore,  positively  would  not  receive 
absolution,  except  under  these  conditions:  1.  They 
should  have  to  sign  under  oath  a  formal  renunciation 
of  the  illicit  Society.  2.  These  signed  renunciations 
should  have  to  be  handed  over  to  their  pastor,  to  be 
kept  for  future  use.  Happy  to  say,  the  overwhelm- 
ing majority  of  them  fully  and  promptly  complied 
with  the  conditions,  and  were  accordingly  admitted 
to  the  Sacraments.  After  their  change  of  heart,  a 
great  light  dawned  on  them;  they  made  the  mission 
with  extraordinary  fervor,  and  began  to  cherish 
sentiments  of  sincere  love  and  respect  for  the  mis- 
sionaries. When  the  reverend  pastor  saw  the  happy 
turn  affairs  had  taken,  he  was  ready  to  dance  with 
joy.  The  good  example  set  by  these  men  served  as 
an  incentive  to  the  rest  of  the  flock  to  correspond 
generously  with  the  efforts  of  the  missionaries,  and 
nearly  everybody  in  the  parish  made  the  mission,  over 
2,400  people  receiving  the  Sacraments. 

When  the  Fathers  were  leaving  the  place,  the 
"Molly  McGuires"  escorted  them  in  state  to  the 
railroad  station.  As  early  as  four  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, a  large  number  of  men  marched  to  the  priests' 
house  to  await  the  appearance  of  the  missionaries. 
For  three  hours  and  a  half  they  stood  on  the  sidewalk 
— that  picturesque  crowd  of  big  fellows,  with  their 
green  sashes  on  which  were  embroidered  the  shamrock 
and  the  harp  of  Erin.  When  the  Fathers  appeared, 
at  7 :30,  a  mighty  cheer  went  up  and  the  men  knelt  to 
receive  their  blessing.  In  a  few  moments,  those  horny- 
handed  sons  of  toil,  once  misguided,  but  now  true 


352       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

and  faithful  to  the  Church,  were  marching  in  fine 
alignment  in  front  of  the  open  barouche  in  which  the 
missionaries  were  riding.  When  at  eight  o'clock,  the 
train  pulled  out  of  the  station,  "three  more  hearty 
cheers  for  the  holy  Fathers  "  were  given,  and  sturdy 
stalwart  men  were  caught  dashing  away  the  tears 
from  their  eyelids.  Until  the  train  had  been  lost  in 
the  distance,  the  "  Molly  McGuires  "  kept  on  waving 
"Farewell." 

On  March  3,  Fathers  Gross,  Rathke,  Wissel, 
Koch,  F.  Miller,  O'Connor,  Oates,  and  M.  Mueller 
began  a  three  weeks'  mission  at  the  Cathedral  of  the 
Holy  Cross  in  this  city.  A  remarkable  feature  of 
this  mission  was  the  splendid  spirit  manifested  by 
the  young  men.  They  made  it  a  matter  of  conscience 
to  be  present  at  every  exercise,  especially  at  the  early 
morning  instruction.  Putting  aside  the  levity  and 
flightiness  characteristic  of  youth,  they  listened  with 
the  closest  attention  to  all  the  sermons,  and  took  to 
heart  the  lessons  inculcated.  In  after  years,  some  of 
them  referred  in  feeling  terms  to  the  missionaries, 
and  were  able  to  quote  passages  of  their  sermons.  At 
this  mission,  the  largest  of  the  year,  5,350  confessions 
were  heard. 

On  the  second  Sunday  after  Easter,  April  14, 
Fathers  Wissel,  Enright,  Koch,  and  M.  Mueller  be- 
gan a  ten  days'  mission  at  the  Church  of  St.  Francis, 
Troy,  N".  Y.  The  non- Catholics  of  the  neighborhood 
took  kindly  to  the  mission,  and  some  of  them,  in  partic- 
ular the  editor  of  one  of  the  local  papers,  were  regular 
attendants  at  all  the  evening  exercises.  Every  morn- 
ing quite  a  lengthy  account  of  the  mission  was  pub- 
lished in  the  paper;  the  advertising  thus  furnished 
stimulated  and  intensified  the  general  interest  and 
attracted  large  crowds.  As  the  parish  had  been 
organized  only  a  short  time  and  had  not  as  yet 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    353 

attained  a  fixed  and  definite  status,  the  pastor  did  not 
entertain  high  hopes  of  the  success  of  the  mission.  He 
was  greatly  surprised,  therefore,  when  informed  that 
over  1,100  people  had  approached  the  Holy  Table. 

From  May  5  to  15,  Fathers  Wissel  and  Koch 
fought  the  battle  of  Christ  in  the  quaint  old  town  of 
Concord,  Mass.,  where  on  April  19,  1775,  the  first 
engagement  of  the  Revolution  took  place.  The 
atmosphere  of  the  town,  which  was  the  home  of  the 
famous  literateur,  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson,  was 
decidedly  Protestant.  Nevertheless,  during  the  mis- 
sion there  were  striking  manifestations  of  faith,  some 
of  the  people  walking  8  miles  to  be  present  at  the 
exercises.  The  number  of  confessions  was  much 
larger  than  had  been  expected,  and  the  consoling 
results  of  the  mission  endured  for  a  long  time. 

The  first  mission  listed  for  1873  was  given  at  St. 
Augustine's,  So.  Boston.  For  three  weeks,  January 
12-February  2,  Fathers  Gross,  Rathke,  Koch,  De 
Ham,  Miller,  O'Connor,  and  Kuper  spent  them- 
selves in  the  cause  of  Christ.  As  the  parish  was  very 
large,  the  mission  was  a  v  double-header,"  that  is,  the 
exercises  were  conducted  in  the  upper  church  and  in 
the  basement  simultaneously.  This  was  the  first 
mission  of  that  kind  ever  given  from  the  Boston 
house.  The  pastor,  Father  (later  Monsignor)  Dennis 
O'Callaghan,  was  a  noble  type  of  priest,  universally 
respected  and  loved  by  his  people.  He  left  nothing 
undone  to  make  the  mission  a  glorious  success,  and  at 
the  close,  had  the  great  happiness  of  learning  that 
3,350  of  the  faithful  had  approached  the  Tribunal  of 
Penance,  and  15  non- Catholics  had  received  the 
inestimable  gift  of  faith. 

At  a  renewal  held  about  this  time,  after  the  mis- 
sionary had  given  the  little  instruction  on  the  Scapu- 
lars, a  young  woman  called  to  see  him,  and  told  him 


354       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

that  his  few  simple  words  had  kept  her  from  com- 
mitting suicide.  Disappointed  in  love,  she  had 
become  so  despondent  that  she  determined  to  drown 
herself.  Going  down  to  the  river,  she  found  so  many 
people  there  that  she  retraced  her  steps,  and  on  her 
way  home,  passed  the  church.  The  sight  of  the 
crowds  pouring  in,  touched  her,  and,  in  a  mechanical 
way,  she  followed  them.  Just  as  she  entered,  the 
preacher  was  relating  an  example  of  a  girl,  who, 
having  been  forsaken  by  a  faithless  lover,  had  made 
up  her  mind  to  drown  herself.  At  first,  some 
invisible  power  held  her  back;  she  was  puzzled  for 
an  explanation,  but,  recalling  that  she  was  wear- 
ing the  Scapulars,  she  took  them  off,  plunged  into  the 
water,  and  sank  at  once.  The  young  woman,  horror- 
stricken  by  this  awful  example  which  resembled  her 
case  so  closely,  repented,  and  made  the  renewal 
fervently. 

The  biggest  mission  of  1873  opened  on  March  16, 
at  the  Church  of  St.  John,  Springfield,  Mass.  The 
missionaries  were  Fathers  Gross,  Kuper,  Koch,  De 
Ham,  and  O'Connor.  Here,  as  at  St.  Augustine's, 
South  Boston,  the  exercises  were  duplicated  and  the 
labors  of  the  Fathers,  in  the  pulpit,  correspondingly 
increased.  The  number  of  penitents  was  so  large 
that  three  Jesuit  Fathers  and  three  secular  priests 
had  to  be  kindly  requested  to  assist  in  the  confes- 
sional. For  three  weeks  the  missionaries  and  their 
helpers  labored  with  a  zeal  worthy  of  the  Blessed 
John  Baptist  Vianney.  However,  all  their  toils  and 
sacrifices  were  amply  repaid  by  the  harvest  reaped 
—7,700  confessions.  This  was  the  last  mission  that 
Father  Gross  gave.  On  returning  home  he  received 
official  notification  that  he  had  been  named  Bishop 
of  Savannah. 

On  April  20,  Fathers  Enright,  De  Ham,  Koch, 
Kuper,  Henning,  and  Schnuettgen  began  the  good 
work  at  the  Cathedral  of  St.  Michael,  Springfield, 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    355 

Mass.  The  seed  they  scattered  fell  on  fertile  soil; 
5,500  of  the  faithful  approached  the  Sacraments  and 
twelve  non- Catholics  were  received  into  the  Church. 

In  July,  Father  Wissel  went  West  again  in  order 
to  give  a  retreat  to  the  priests  of  the  diocese  of  Mil- 
waukee, of  which  the  Rt.  Rev.  John  Martin  Henni 
was  then  Bishop.  After  closing  this  retreat,  Father 
Wissel  conducted  the  spiritual  exercises  for  the 
Sisters  of  Notre  Dame  in  the  same  city.  Immedi- 
ately afterwards,  he  hurried  to  Gallina,  Illinois,  to 
preach  a  retreat  to  the  nuns  of  the  same  Order, 
located  there.  Before  leaving  this  place,  he  paid  his 
respects  to  the  public  school  system  in  two  powerful 
sermons  delivered  at  the  Church  of  St.  Michael, 
where,  for  good  measure,  he  added  a  Triduum.  As 
soon  as  he  had  finished,  time  began  to  hang  so 
heavily  on  his  hands,  that  he  swung  aboard  the  train 
for  Burlington,  Vt.,  where  he  gave  a  retreat  of  five 
days  to  the  diocesan  clergy.  He  arrived  home 
August  31,  wondering  when  he  would  get  a  chance 
to  do  a  little  work  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord.  For 
just  two  days  he  took  things  easy,  but  as  the  rest- 
cure  never  appealed  to  him,  he  set  out  on  September 
2,  for  Chester,  Pa.,  in  order  to  conduct  a  four  weeks* 
mission  at  the  Church  of  St.  Michael,  where  he  was 
assisted  by  Fathers  Enright,  De  Ham,  and  Schnuett- 
gen.  On  the  last  Saturday  night,  when  the  mis- 
sionaries met  in  Father  Wissel's  room  to  compare 
notes,  they  found  they  had  heard  2,600  confessions 
and  made  six  converts. 

After  the  historic  mission  at  St.  James's  Church, 
New  York,  in  1871,  the  pastor  of  St.  Gabriel's,  the 
Rev.  Father  Clowry,  lost  no  time  in  presenting  his 
application  for  a  mission.  The  missionaries  chosen 
were  Fathers  Petsch,  Wissel,  Enright,  De  Ham,  and 
Schnuettgen;  the  dates  fixed  were  November  9  to 
December  4.  Those  were  tough  days  for  hardened 
sinners.  Morning,  noon,  and  night  they  were  sub- 


356       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

jected  to  a  terrible  barrage  from  the  missionaries, 
till  at  last  most  of  them  fled  from  their  dug-outs 
and  surrendered.  Day  after  day,  the  missionaries 
impressed  on  their  hearers  the  high  cost  of  sin  in 
this  life,  as  well  as  in  the  next.  With  clearness, 
force  and  emphasis  they  pointed  out  that  forbidden 
pleasures,  like  the  Dead  Sea  fruit,  turn  to  ashes  on 
the  tongue  of  him  who  tastes  them.  The  lessons 
they  inculcated  were  taken  to  heart;  men  renounced 
their  sinful  ways,  and  cast  themselves  at  the  feet  of 
Christ's  anointed,  there  to  obtain  peace  and  pardon. 
For  14  benighted  souls  who  had  been  sitting  "in 
darkness  and  in  the  shadow  of  death,"  the  light  of 
faith  dawned,  and  7,500  of  the  faithful  felt  the  thrill 
of  joy  that  springs  from  a  good  confession. 

The  Fathers,  at  a  certain  mission  in  1873,  in- 
veighed vehemently  against  the  immodest  dances  that 
were  held  at  a  questionable  resort  in  the  place.  One 
girl,  nevertheless,  was  so  defiant  as  to  go  there  dur- 
ing the  mission,  but  to  her  surprise  and  confusion, 
she  discovered  that  she  could  not  get  a  partner;  the 
dance  hall  was  as  deserted  as  a  country  graveyard 
at  midnight. 

Father  Enright,  on  one  of  his  missions  in  1873, 
preached  a  sermon  on  the  True  Church,  in  which  he 
held  up  to  ridicule  the  shallow  pretenses  of  the  dis- 
cordant sects.  A  few  of  the  bigoted  Protestants 
waxed  so  furious  that  they  threatened  to  club  him 
to  death.  Father  Enright  became  quite  interested, 
and  calmly  awaited  the  onrush  of  his  would-be 
assailants;  but  on  second  thought,  they  decided  that 
discretion  was  the  better  part  of  valor,  and  put  their 
clubs  away,  thus  defeating  him  of  the  chance  to  win 
the  martyr's  crown. 

During  one  of  the  missions  in  1874,  a  monster 
revival  was  held  at  one  of  the  Protestant  churches 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    357 

in  the  town,  for  the  avowed  purpose  of  keeping  the 
people  from  being  devoured  by  the  "  papist  wolves." 
But  the  revival  proved  an  egregious  fiasco.  The 
mission  was  attended  by  a  considerable  percentage 
of  non-Catholics,  three  of  whom  were  converted. 
The  opposition  of  the  ministers  served  only  to  unite 
the  Catholics  of  the  town  more  solidly,  and  practi- 
cally all  of  them  made  the  mission. 

At  the  very  next  mission,  the  bigots  resorted  to 
similar  devices,  only  on  a  larger  scale.  Three  revivals 
were  held  and  other  cuttlefish  tactics  employed  in 
order  to  keep  the  Protestants  from  attending  the 
mission.  The  jaundiced  preachers  brought  great 
pressure  to  bear  on  the  newspapers  to  ignore  the 
mission,  but,  to  the  honor  and  credit  of  the  jour- 
nalists, be  it  said  that  they  gave  a  very  fair  account 
of  it  in  their  papers.  The  faithful  of  the  place  were 
thoroughly  aroused  and  militantly  met  the  demands 
of  the  situation.  They  loved  their  holy  religion 
intensely  and  were  aggressively  proud  of  it.  They 
had  a  magnificent  parochial  school,  which  turned 
out  the  brightest  children  in  the  city.  The  pastor 
was  a  model  of  zeal,  whose  only  thought  and  aim  was 
to  strengthen  the  faith  and  to  nurture  the  piety  of 
his  people.  His  sister,  a  highly  educated  woman, 
conducted  a  Latin  class  for  boys  who  wished  to 
study  for  the  priesthood.  Two  of  the  little  fellows 
signified  to  Father  Freitag  their  desire  to  become 
Redemptorists.  In  many  other  ways  also  it  was 
evident  that  the  parish  was  the  object  of  God's  spe- 
cial favor.  The  mission  was  abundantly  blessed; 
5,069  confessions  were  heard,  and  five  converts  made. 

It  is  pleasant  to  record  that  at  the  renewal  held 
at  St.  Augustine's,  South  Boston,  from  February 
22  to  March  5,  there  were  475  more  confessions  than 
at  the  mission. 


358       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

The  largest  mission  of  1874  was  given  at  St. 
Stephen's,  Boston,  from  April  12  to  May  7.  Owing 
to  the  size  of  the  parish,  seven  missionaries  were 
kept  busy:  Fathers  Wissel,  Bohn,  Freitag,  Lamy, 
O'Connor,  Werner,  and  Schnuettgen.  The  brilliant 
success  of  their  labors  may  be  correctly  gaged  from 
the  fact  that  42  non- Catholics  were  converted.  The 
missionaries,  tireless  in  their  determination  to  do 
good,  administered  the  Sacraments  to  45  sick  people 
who  were  unable  to  be  present  at  the  exercises.  At 
the  close  of  the  mission,  Bishop  Williams  confirmed 
a  class  of  846;  7,460  confessions  were  heard.  The 
work  of  the  missionaries  was  highly  praised  by  both 
the  Bishop  and  the  pastor,  the  latter  saying  that  they 
had  wrought  wonders  in  his  parish. 

On  July  5,  at  Seton  Hall  College,  N.  J.,  Father 
Wissel  began  the  retreat  to  the  clergy  of  the  diocese 
of  Newark.  The  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop,  Michael  A.  Cor- 
rigan,  afterwards  Archbishop  of  New  York,  and  58 
priests,  the  largest  number  in  the  history  of  the 
diocese  up  to  that  time,  took  part  in  the  exercises. 
Four  weeks  later,  Father  Wissel  preached  the 
retreat  to  the  priests  of  the  Pittsburgh  diocese,  of 
which  the  Rt.  Rev.  Michael  Domenec  was  then 
Bishop.  This  retreat  is  specially  noteworthy  as  hav- 
ing been  conducted  in  two  divisions  and  in  two 
languages  (English  and  German).  It  was  held  at 
the  Franciscan  Monastery  at  Loretto,  Pa.,  where 
lie  entombed  the  remains  of  the  famous  prince, 
priest  and  missionary — the  Rev.  Demetrius  Augus- 
tine Gallitzin,  a  scion  of  one  of  the  oldest,  wealthiest, 
and  most  illustrious  families  of  Russia. 

About  the  middle  of  September,  at  the  request 
of  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  McQuaid  of  Rochester, 
Father  Wissel  gave  the  retreat,  in  English  and  in 
German,  to  the  diocesan  clergy. 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    359 

At  a  mission  preached  during  October  at  Pal- 
myra, N.  Y.,  in  the  diocese  of  Rochester,  some  of 
the  faithful  remained  at  the  confessionals  all  day 
long  awaiting  their  turn,  and  received  Holy  Com- 
munion as  late  as  6  or  7  o'clock  in  the  evening.  At 
Macedonia,  an  out-mission  of  Palmyra,  the  Fathers 
heard  900  confessions,  more  than  twice  the  number 
calculated. 

The  field  of  labor  quickly  changes  from  mild 
Palmyra  to  the  snow-bound  regions  of  Quebec, 
Canada,  where,  from  October  25  to  November  15, 
Fathers  Henning,  Enright,  Schnuettgen,  and  Lamy 
measured  lances  with  the  forces  of  wickedness,  at  St. 
Patrick's  Church,  of  which  the  Redemptorist  Fathers 
had  just  assumed  charge.  About  6,000  confessions 
were  heard.  The  parish,  which  had  formerly  been 
under  the  care  of  the  secular  clergy,  was  well 
organized  along  all  lines. 

The  first  half  of  1875  was  unusually  busy;  so  many 
missions  had  been  called  for  that  the  Fathers  went 
from  one  to  another  practically  without  any  break. 
The  first  entirely  French  mission  to  be  given  by  the 
Boston  Community  took  place  this  year  at  the  Church 
of  Our  Lady  of  Victory,  Rochester,  N.  Y.  R  was 
conducted  by  Father  Lamy,  from  May  30  to  June 
13.  During  the  summer,  Father  Wissel  gave  the 
retreat  to  the  priests  of  the  diocese  of  Toronto, 
Canada.  The  greatest  mission  of  the  year  was  the 
last.  The  place  was  the  Cathedral  of  the  Immacu- 
late Conception,  Portland,  Me. ;  the  time,  December 
12,  1875,  to  January  14,  1876.  Our  old  friend,  the 
Rev.  James  Healy  of  St.  James's  Church,  Boston, 
had  been  consecrated  Bishop  of  Portland  on  June 
2,  1875,  and  shortly  afterwards  invited  the  Fathers 
to  conduct  a  mission  at  his  Cathedral.  Six  seasoned 
missionaries  responded  to  the  call:  Fathers  Petsch, 


360       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Bold,  Gates,  F.  Miller,  Stuhl,  and  Schnuettgen.  The 
results  of  the  mission  were  6,700  confessions  and  six 
converts. 

At  the  personal  solicitation  of  the  Most  Rev.  Arch- 
bishop Williams,  the  Fathers,  on  March  12,  1876, 
opened  a  three  weeks'  mission  at  the  Cathedral  of  the 
Holy  Cross,  Boston.  The  veteran  missionary,  Father 
Wissel,  who,  in  July,  1875,  had  again  been  appointed 
Prefect  of  the  Second  Novitiate,  was  summoned  from 
Annapolis  to  take  part;  in  all,  seven  Fathers  were 
engaged;  8,100  Communions  were  distributed  and 
eight  converts  entered  the  Church. 

The  biggest  mission  ever  given  by  the  community 
was  conducted  at  St.  James's  Church,  Boston,  from 
April  24  to  May  18,  1876.  Eight  missionaries  were 
kept  busy  hearing  the  10,100  penitents  who  besieged 
the  confessionals.  The  original  purpose  had  been  to 
give  a  ten  days'  mission  to  the  women  and  the  same 
to  the  men.  But  the  first  night,  not  half  the  women 
could  gain  admittance  to  the  upper  church.  The 
single  women  were  then  requested  to  go  to  the  base- 
ment, where  the  sermon  on  Salvation  was  preached. 
But  the  plan  of  having  the  single  women's  mission  in 
the  basement  did  not  work  satisfactorily,  and  the 
decision  was  reached  to  devote  a  full  week  to  the  mar- 
ried women  only,  and  a  full  week  to  the  single  women 
only.  During  the  men's  mission,  the  church  was 
crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity;  vestibule,  aisles,  and 
even  sanctuary  were  black  with  men,  poor  in  the 
goods  of  this  world,  but  rich  in  the  possession  of  a 
simple,  stanch  and  sturdy  faith.  Although  most  of 
them  had  to  work  hard  10  or  12  hours  a  day,  the 
attendance  at  the  early  Mass  was  very  good.  Arch- 
bishop Williams,  who  had  come  to  confer  Confirma- 
tion, presided  at  the  close  of  the  mission. 

In  June,  Fathers  Gates,  Mclnerney,  and  Bausch 


FOOtSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    861 

began  a  mission  at  St.  Joseph's  Church,  Oldtown, 
Me.  As  most  of  the  men  there  were  obliged  to  get  to 
work  at  4 :30  A.M.,  the  missionaries  rose  at  3 :00  A.M. 
One  began  Mass  at  3:30;  the  second  distributed 
Holy  Communion  during  the  Mass,  and  the  third 
preached  the  instruction  at  4  o'clock,  so  that  all  was 
over  by  4 :30.  Moreover,  as  the  men  could  not  come 
to  confession  during  the  day,  the  Fathers  heard  till 
nearly  midnight.  An  old  man,  107  years  of  age, 
who  had  been  a  Freemason  for  70  years  and  had 
received  the  highest  degrees,  abjured  the  craft,  and 
vowed  wholehearted  loyalty  to  the  Church. 

Just  at  this  time,  an  unusual  color  was  given  to 
the  activities  of  the  missionaries  when  Father 
Freitag  preached  a  mission  to  the  Indians  inhabiting 
a  certain  island  in  the  Penobscot  River.  The  place 
was  an  old  Jesuit  station,  established  more  than  200 
years  before.  The  red  men  had  preserved  all  the  tradi- 
tions of  their  first  apostles  and  were  fervent  Catho- 
lics. They  had  a  neat  little  church,  St.  Ann's,  which, 
though  very  old,  was  kept  in  good  condition  by  seven 
deacons  and  "deaconesses"  of  the  place.  At  every 
exercise,  the  church  was  thronged  with  full-blooded 
Indians  seeking  the  pearl  of  great  price.  The  Feast 
of  Corpus  Christi  occurred  during  the  mission,  and 
the  procession  held  would  have  done  credit  to  many 
a  large  city  parish.  The  pastor,  the  Rev.  J.  Doody, 
who  said  Mass  for  the  Indians  once  a  month,  visited 
the  island  during  the  mission,  and  was  delighted 
with  the  fine  spirit  manifested.  The  number  of  con- 
fessions was  315,  which  meant  that  everyone  in  the 
settlement  except,  of  course,  the  infants,  made  the 
mission.  The  famous  Jesuit,  Father  Bapst,  who 
was  tarred  and  feathered,  lived  among  these  people 
for  several  years.  When  Father  Freitag  was  leav- 
ing the  island,  the  Indian  chief,  Sockbassinswassin, 


362       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

(John  Baptist  Swassin)  rowed  him  to  the  mainland 
in  his  canoe.  As  the  big  red  man  vigorously  plied 
the  oars,  he  showered  praises,  in  picturesque  and 
flowery  language,  on  the  noble  "Black  Gown"  for 
all  he  had  done  for  the  tribe. 

The  first  mission  ever  given  at  St.  Peter's,  Dor- 
chester, Mass.,  was  solemnly  opened  on  September 
17,  by  Fathers  Freitag,  Gates,  Miller,  Mclnerney, 
and  Bausch.  Although  the  parish  had  been 
organized  only  a  few  years,  and  the  church  was  still 
in  the  course  of  erection,  the  mission  was  from  every 
standpoint  a  decided  success.  This  happy  result 
was  brought  about  in  no  small  measure  by  the  able 
and  zealous  pastor,  the  Rev.  Peter  Ronan,  who  was 
one  of  the  grandest  priests  that  ever  labored  in  the 
great  archdiocese  of  Boston,  During  the  mission, 
which  lasted  till  the  28th,  2,300  confessions  were 
heard.  At  the  departure  of  the  missionaries,  both 
pastor  and  people  invoked  on  them  the  choicest 
blessings  of  Heaven. 

A  mission  of  massive  proportions  began  Nov- 
ember 9,  at  the  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  E. 
Cambridge.  The  pastor  was  the  Rev.  John  O'Brien, 
who  afterwards  became  famous  as  the  editor  of  the 
Sacred  Heart  Review.  Such  a  vast  number  of 
women  attended,  that  they  could  not  be  accommo- 
dated either  in  the  old  church  or  in  the  new;  hence 
two  simultaneous  missions  were  given;  the  married 
women  assembled  in  the  old  church;  the  single 
women,  in  the  new.  The  mission  was  unmarred  by 
fleck  or  flaw;  the  interest  continued  unabated  to  the 
end;  and  the  net  results  were  that  7,338  Catholics 
received  the  Sacraments,  and  eight  non-Catholics 
embraced  the  faith. 

On  December  18,  the  missionaries,  weary  and 
jaded  from  their  incessant  labors,  came  home,  in 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    363 

order  to  pass  the  Christmas  holidays  round  the  com- 
munity Crib,  there  to  seek  new  impulses  and  new 
strength  for  future  combats. 

They  had  barely  exchanged  New  Year's  greet- 
ings, when  they  went  forth  again  to  give  battle  for 
the  Lord.  After  two  weeks  at  the  Church  of  the 
Sacred  Heart,  Fall  River,  Mass.,  where  they  heard 
4,350  confessions  and  made  14  converts,  the  Fathers 
journeyed  to  Montreal,  Canada,  where  they 
preached  two  missions  in  immediate  succession;  the 
first,  at  St.  Patrick's;  the  second,  at  St.  Bridgett's 
Church.  The  harvest  was  most  abundant,  the  grand 
totals  being  14,550  confessions  and  48  converts. 
From  the  middle  of  March  until  the  beginning  of 
July,  they  were  engaged  on  half  a  dozen  different 
missions  in  Maine.  From  August  27  to  31,  Father 
Dold  gave  the  retreat  to  the  clergy  of  the  diocese  of 
Burlington,  Vt.  Four  comparatively  small  mis- 
sions in  September  led  up  to  the  renewal  at  the 
Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  Fall  River,  at  which 
there  were  4,400  confessions,  an  excess  of  fifty  over 
the  number  at  the  mission.  During  the  greater  part 
of  November,  seven  of  the  missionaries  conducted  a 
renewal  at  St.  Patrick's,  Montreal.  Of  their  work 
here  one  of  the  local  newspapers  said: 

"The  Missionary  Fathers  have  left  us  all  better  than 
we  were.  .  .  .  The  Church  was  crowded  to  the  door 
with  fervent  worshipers,  meekly  bending  in  adoration  be- 
fore the  Living  God ;  old  and  young,  rich  and  poor ;  the  gay 
and  the  grave ;  all  were  gathered  in  the  folds  of  His  temple, 
and  all  blessed  God  that  they  had  lived  to  hear  those  Re- 
demptorist  Fathers  who  came  to  Montreal  to  save  souls 
and  make  homes  happy.  Theirs  was  the  labor;  ours  the 
fruit.  With  but  a  few  hours'  interval,  day  and  night  were 
given  for  all  our  benefits.  From  5  A.  M.  until  10  P.  M., 
every  day  and  night  their  ceaseless  labor  went  on,  and  let 
us  hope  that  the  success  of  the  mission  is  some  reward  for 
their  almost  ceaseless  toil.  In  St.  Patrick's  4,000  men  and 


364       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

2,600  women  approached  the  altar.  .  .  .  The  last  scene  of 
the  mission  was  perhaps  the  most  imposing.  The  vast  con- 
gregation, each  member  of  which  held  a  lighted  taper  in  one 
hand,  renewed  their  baptismal  vows.  The  brilliancy  of  the 
illumination,  caused  by  the  tapers,  threw  a  lurid  glare 
around,  and  when  the  Missionary  Father  asked  them  if  they 
were  willing  to  renew  the  vows  they  made  at  Baptism — four 
thousand  men  gave  one  response — deep,  fervent  and  loyal — 
'Yes.'  The  effect  was  electrical,  and  if  the  enemies  of  our 
faith  could  only  have  seen  the  stern  joy  which  animated 
each  face,  they  would  cease  their  insane  tirades  against  a 
Church  which  is  indestructible,  and  towards  a  faith  against 
which  the  gates  of  hell  cannot  prevail." 

The  year  1877  was  one  of  noteworthy  activity; 
the  official  records  show  21  missions,  4  renewals,  and 
3  retreats. 

The  big  event  of  1878  was  the  mission  at  St. 
Alphonsus',  N.  Y.  From  November  3  to  28, 
Fathers  Freitag,  Wissel,  Gates,  Burke,  and  Bausch 
labored  there  almost  to  the  point  of  utter  exhaustion, 
but  obtained  the  rich  reward  of  seeing  7,502  of  the 
faithful  approach  the  Sacraments,  and  6  non-Catho- 
lics pledge  their  allegiance  to  the  True  Church.  On 
June  21,  Father  Wissel  became  a  member  of  the 
Boston  Community  again,  but  before  he  had 
unpacked  his  trunk,  he  was  on  his  way  to  Brooklyn, 
to  give  a  retreat  to  the  Sisters  of  the  Visitation.  But 
what  was  one  retreat  to  a  man  of  his  burning  zea\ 
and  tireless  activity?  So  he  followed  it  up  with 
three  others:  the  first  to  the  Sisters  of  Mercy  at 
Titusville,  Pa.,  the  second,  to  the  clergy  of  the 
diocese  of  Erie,  Pa.,  and  the  last,  to  the  priests  of 
the  diocese  of  Burlington,  Vt.  Father  Rossbach, 
another  sturdy,  zealous  worker,  gave  three  retreats 
in  August  to  nuns  of  different  communities  in 
Vermont. 

In  February,  1879,  the  Redemptorists  of  Boston 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    365 

preached  their  first  mission  in  the  diocese  of  Hart- 
ford, Conn.  The  church  was  St.  Mary's,  New 
Britain;  the  missionaries,  Fathers  Wissel,  Bausch, 
Kolb,  and  Trimpel.  Was  it  a  success?  Well,  dur- 
ing the  mission,  two  of  the  neighboring,  pastors  came 
along  to  find  out  how  things  were  going,  and  after 
hearing  the  way  the  Fathers  conducted  the  mission, 
they  made  engagements  for  missions  at  their  respec- 
tive churches. 

Father  Moran  of  St.  Stephen's,  Boston,  liked  his 
last  mission  so  well  that  he  asked  to  be  served  a 
second  time;  and  on  March  15,  five  members  of  the 
band  started  out  to  perpetuate  the  good  that  had 
previously  been  done.  When  they  returned,  they 
had  to  their  credit  7,328  confessions. 

From  April  24  to  May  8,  Fathers  Wissel,  Gates, 
Bausch,  and  Kolb  conducted  a  mission  at  the  Cathe- 
dral of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  Burlington, 
Vt.  The  people  showed  a  fine  spirit  of  appreciation 
and  cooperation;  they  responded  as  nicely  to  every 
impulse  brought  to  bear  on  them,  as  the  Aeolian 
harp  does  to  the  slightest  breeze;  2,870  of  the  faith- 
ful made  the  mission  and  3  non-Catholics  abjured 
their  heresy. 

In  September  there  were  as  many  as  6  renewals, 
the  largest  of  which  was  held  at  St.  John's  Church, 
Bangor,  Me.,  where  there  were  2,250  confessions. 

After  giving  a  number  of  small  missions  in 
October  and  in  November,  Fathers  Freitag,  Ross- 
bach,  Gates,  Bausch,  and  Kolb  opened  a  renewal  on 
December  1,  at  St.  Stephen's,  Boston;  6,640  con- 
fessions and  6  converts  were  the  outcome  of  their 
labors. 

At  the  mission  conducted,  February  15-March 
2,  1880,  at  St.  Peter's  Church,  Cambridge,  by 
Fathers  Wissel,  Bausch,  Gates,  and  Rossbach,  there 


366       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

were  scenes  that  recalled  the  fervor  of  the  primitive 
Christians.  The  most  consoling  feature  of  this  mis- 
sion was  that,  according  to  the  testimony  of  the 
local  clergy,  those  who  needed  it  most,  made  it  most 
faithfully;  3,273  confessions  were  heard. 

Fathers  Brandstaetter  and  Zinnen  preached  a 
French  mission,  March  14-23,  at  St.  Anne's,  Fall 
River,  Mass.  In  all  respects,  the  faithful  manifested 
an  excellent  spirit.  The  number  of  confessions 
was  2,800. 

On  Low  Sunday,  April  4,  Fathers  Wissel,  Ross- 
bach,  and  Trimpel  began  a  ten  days'  mission  at  St. 
Joseph's  Cathedral,  Hartford,  Conn.,  of  which  the 
Rev.  Father  Harty  was  pastor.  At  the  time,  only 
the  basement  of  the  cathedral  was  finished.  It  seated 
2,000  comfortably,  but  could  hold  perhaps  as  many 
as  2,500.  At  some  of  the  exercises,  the  crowd  was 
so  large  that  many  were  unable  to  get  into  the 
church.  The  number  of  confessions  was  2,200. 

Immediately  after  the  close  of  this  mission,  the 
same  Fathers  opened  another,  at  the  Church  of  St. 
Peter,  Danbury,  Conn.  The  Redemptorists  had 
given  a  mission  here  in  1865,  when  900  confessions 
were  heard;  but  since  that  time,  the  congregation 
had  grown  by  leaps  and  bounds,  and  a  magnificent 
new  church  had  been  erected.  At  this  mission,  there 
were  2,366  confessions  and  2  converts.  The  salutary 
effects  of  the  mission  of  1865  were  still  visible,  and 
the  penitential  cross  then  raised  was  used  on  this 
occasion. 

At  two  small  missions  which  Father  Zinnen  gave 
at  neighboring  places  in  Connecticut,  during  April, 
1880,  a  considerable  number  of  Odd  Fellows 
renounced  the  society  and  eagerly  sought  to  be 
reconciled  to  the  Church.  Some  of  them  became  so 
fervent  that  they  made  both  missions. 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    367 

Simultaneously  during  May,  Fathers  Brand- 
staetter,  Gates,  Kolb,  and  Zinnen,  and  Fathers 
Wissel,  Rossbach,  and  Trimpel  were  engaged  on 
two  large  missions;  the  former  band,  at  St.  Pat- 
rick's, Lewiston,  Me.;  the  latter,  at  St.  Lawrence's, 
New  Bedford,  Mass.  At  the  first  place,  there  were 
3,303  confessions;  at  the  second,  3,461. 

About  this  time,  the  spring  of  1880,  the  demand  for 
missions  became  so  great  that  the  Fathers  had  to  be 
divided  into  three  bands  instead  of  two.  The  third 
band,  composed  of  Fathers  Freitag  and  Bausch,  gave 
a  mission  at  Rockport,  Mass.,  May  9-16,  where  they 
heard  620  confessions. 

When  summer  came  the  missionaries  were  almost 
fagged  out,  nevertheless,  they  had  comparatively 
little  chance  to  rest.  During  July  and  August, 
Father  Wissel  gave  retreats  to  the  clergy  of  the 
archdiocese  of  Baltimore,  and  of  the  dioceses  of  Erie, 
Pa.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  and  Richmond,  Va.  At  the 
same  time,  Father  Bausch  conducted  the  spiritual 
exercises  at  four  different  religious  institutes  in  the 
diocese  of  Burlington,  Vt. 

In  November  Father  Rector  Henning  went  to 
Toronto,  Canada,  in  order  to  take  part  in  a  mission 
to  be  given  at  the  cathedral.  The  mission  was  a 
glorious  success.  At  the  close,  the  Most  Rev.  Arch- 
bishop Lynch,  addressing  the  congregation,  said: 
"  In  expressing  the  wish  to  have  the  Redemptorist 
Fathers  stay  here  among  us,  I  am  sure  that  I 
express  not  only  my  own  wish,  but  also  that  of  all 
the  reverend  clergy  and  laity  of  my  diocese."  As  a 
direct  and  immediate  result  of  the  mission,  the 
Redemptorist  Fathers  obtained  a  foundation  in  the 
archdiocese  of  Toronto,  His  Grace  giving  them 
charge  of  St.  Patrick's  Church.  The  community  was 
established  there  January  16,  1881. 


368       THE  GLORIES  OP  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

On  Easter  Sunday,  April  17,  1881,  Fathers 
Bohn,  Kolb,  Trimpel,  and  Schaak  opened  a  two 
weeks'  mission  at  St.  Augustine's,  So.  Boston.  This 
was  the  largest  mission  of  the  year;  5,015  confes- 
sions were  heard,  and  3  converts  received  into  the 
Church.  The  Superior  records  that  "the  church 
was  always  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity."  The  people 
showed  that  extraordinary  spirit  of  faith  which  is 
capable  of  renewing  the  face  of  the  earth. 

From  June  6  to  20,  Fathers  Bohn,  Schmidt, 
Trimpel,  Schaak,  and  Kolb  were  engaged  at  the 
Cathedral  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  Portland, 
Me.  There  were  3,538  confessions  and  4  non-Cath- 
olics were  left  under  instruction.  The  Fathers  were 
greatly  encouraged  by  the  many  evidences  of  the 
great  good  done  by  the  last  mission,  five  years  before. 
Father  Bohn  conducted  the  retreat,  August  22- 
27,  for  the  clergy  of  the  diocese  of  Burlington,  Vt.; 
22  priests  followed  the  exercises.  Immediately  after- 
wards, at  the  request  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  De 
Goesbriand,  Father  Bohn  gave  a  retreat  to  the 
Children  of  Mary  of  the  cathedral  parish.  About 
200  women  made  the  retreat. 

The  sum  total  of  apostolic  labors  for  1881  was  33 
missions  and  renewals  and  8  retreats  to  priests  and 
to  religious. 

The  largest  mission  of  1882  was  preached,  May 
7-28,  at  St.  Francis  de  Sales'  Church,  Charlestown, 
Mass.,  by  Fathers  Henning,  Gates,  Schmidt, 
Walsh,  and  Trimpel.  5,227  confessions  were  heard 
and  7  converts  made.  Prominent  among  the  many 
blessings  that  flowed  from  the  mission,  was  a  marked 
increase  in  the  membership  of  the  various  sodalities 
of  the  parish.  In  the  summer  of  this  year,  Father 
Henning  gave  two  clergy-retreats:  the  first,  to  54 
priests  of  the  diocese  of  Erie,  Pa. ;  the  second,  to  26 
priests  of  the  diocese  of  Portland,  Me. 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    369 

The  record  of  achievement  for  1882  was  25  mis- 
sions and  renewals  and  10  retreats  to  priests  and  to 
religious. 

In  the  early  part  of  1883,  four  big  missions  were 
given,  the  biggest  of  which  was  that  conducted  at  St. 
Patrick's  Church,  New  Haven,  Conn.,  February  11- 
25,  by  Fathers  Gates,  Trimpel,  Walsh,  and  Schmidt. 
They  heard  5,260  confessions,  and  received  3  non- 
Catholics  into  the  Church. 

In  March,  Fathers  Gates  and  Schmidt  assisted 
Fathers  Bohn  and  Sigl  of  New  York  City  at  a 
mission  held  at  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  Rochester, 
N".  Y.  One  of  the  Rochester  papers  thus  com- 
mented on  the  mission: 

"The  mission,  which  began  two  weeks  ago  Sunday  at  St. 
Patrick's  Cathedral,  closed  Sunday  evening  with  a  sermon 
by  Father  Bohn  on  'Prayer,'  followed  by  the  benediction  of 
the  missionaries  and  the  Papal  benediction.  During  the 
fortnight,  services  were  held  daily  as  follows:  5  A.  M., 
Mass  and  short  instruction ;  8  A.  M.,  Mass  and  instruction ; 
7.30  P.  M.,  rosary,  instruction  and  sermon.  The  services 
of  the  first  week  were  for  women  and  those  of  the  second 
week  for  men.  The  mission  was  conducted  by  the  following 
named  members  of  the  Redemptorist  Order:  Fathers  Bohn 
and  Sigl  of  New  York  City,  and  Fathers  Oates  and  Schmidt 
of  Boston.  The  Redemptorist  Fathers  conducted  a  mission 
at  the  Cathedral  in  December,  1871.  .  .  .  The  re- 
sults of  the  mission  just  closed  are  shown  in  part  by  the 
following  figures:  Communicants,  women,  2,100;  communi- 
cants, men,  1,850;  communicants,  children  under  fifteen, 
196 ;  total,  4,146.  Adults  confirmed,  women,  140 ;  men,  178 ; 
total,  318.  .  .  .  The  mission  was  in  all  respects  one 
of  the  most  successful  in  the  history  of  the  Catholic  Church 
in  western  New  York." 

During  the  summer  of  1883,  Father  Henning 
gave  the  retreat  to  the  clergy  of  the  diocese  of  Pitts- 
burgh, Pa.  One  hundred  and  four  priests  attended 
the  exercises,  which  were  held  at  Loretto,  Pa. 


370       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

At  a  mission  which  took  place  in  August,  at  a 
small  town  in  Canada,  a  sixteen-year-old  girl,  after 
waiting  in  vain  till  10:00  P.  M.  to  go  to  confession, 
went  home — a  long  distance — slept  one  hour,  and 
returned  to  the  church  at  2  o'clock  the  next  morn- 
ing. During  the  mission  given  at  the  Church  of  Our 
Lady  of  Mt.  Carmel,  Middle  Granville,  N.  Y.,  some 
of  the  people  walked  15  miles  in  order  to  be  present 
at  the  exercises. 

In  1883  there  were  29  missions  and  renewals  and 
7  retreats  to  priests  and  to  religious. 

The  most  noteworthy  mission  in  1884  was  con- 
ducted at  St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  Pittsburgh,  Pa., 
from  March  16  to  April  6,  by  Fathers  Rathke, 
Gates,  Schmidt,  Walsh,  Trimpel,  Dooper,  Beil,  and 
Delargy.  The  people  showed  intense  earnestness 
and  an  admirable  spirit  of  sacrifice;  the  number  of 
confessions  was  7,585. 

At  the  mission  given  a  few  weeks  later  at  St. 
Peter's,  Dorchester,  by  Fathers  Rathke,  Walsh, 
Schmidt,  Delargy,  O'Brien,  and  McGivern,  2,556 
confessions  were  heard  and  5  converts  made.  The 
Superior  of  the  mission  says:  "The  attendance  both 
in  the  morning  and  in  the  evening  was  very  good. 
The  men  in  particular  showed  great  fervor  in  com- 
ing to  the  5  o'clock  instruction  in  the  morning.  A 
good  number  of  them  left  their  work  for  a  day  or 
two,  in  order  to  make  their  confession." 

From  May  5  to  9,  Fathers  Dooper  and  Delargy 
gave  a  little  mission  at  the  National  Home  for  Dis- 
abled Veteran  Soldiers  at  Togus,  Me.  The  old 
soldiers  were  so  pleased  with  both  the  mission  and 
the  missionaries,  that  one  of  them,  in  the  name  of 
all,  made  the  following  speech  to  the  Fathers  at  the 
close  of  the  mission: 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    371 

"Most  Rev.  and  Holy  Fathers :  I  take  the  liberty  to  ad- 
dress you  on  the  eve  of  your  departure  from  us.  Most  Rev. 
and  Holy  Fathers,  you  have  come  to  us  and  found  us,  I  may 
say,  a  lot  of  us,  as  remnants  of  ourselves.  We  were  once 
able  and  hearty  men,  when  we  volunteered  our  services  for 
the  life  of  this  great  and  mighty  nation,  the  home  and  the 
asylum  for  the  oppressed  and  the  destitute  of  all  nations, 
and  where  we  can  worship  God  without  fear  of  persecution. 

"Most  Holy  Fathers,  most  of  us  are  approaching  our 
last  battle,  for  a  great  many  of  us  will,  no  doubt,  be  laid  in 
the  silent  grave  before  another  holy  mission  may  be  held 
here.  You  have  come,  Holy  Fathers,  like  a  good  Commis- 
sary, who  watches  over  his  soldiers,  to  see  that  they  are 
provided  with  all  that  is  necessary  for  them  in  food  and  rai- 
ment. 

"But,  Rev.  Fathers,  you  came  to  us  not  as  Commissaries 
only,  but  as  holy  missionaries  bringing  with  you  a  great 
and  inexhaustible  store  of  spiritual  food,  to  nourish  both 
soul  and  body,  you  come  armed  and  equipped  with  that 
heavenly  grace  and  blessing  transmitted  to  you  by  our 
Divine  Saviour,  when  He  said,  'That  the  gates  of  hell  would 
not  prevail  against  His  Church'  .  .  .  and  'whose  sins 
you  shall  forgive  they  are  forgiven  them.'  You  come  to  us 
in  fulfillment  of  the  promise  of  Christ  always  to  remain 
with  His  Church  to  the  end  of  the  world,  and  that  other 
Divine  promise,  'To  send  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Spirit  of 
Truth,  to  remain  with  her  forever  and  teach  her  all  things.' 
And  now,  Rev.  Fathers,  you  came  here  to  teach  and  in- 
struct us  and  make  us  good  soldiers  of  Christ,  and  help  us 
to  fight  against  our  mortal  enemies,  the  world,  the  flesh, 
and  the  devil.  You  have,  also,  dear  and  Rev.  Fathers,  done 
an  incalculable  deal  of  good  in  trying  to  banish  that  most 
fatal  enemy  of  Christians,  I  mean  intemperance.  .  .  . 
I  must  now  say  with  truth  what  I  know  in  regard  to  our 
men  here,  that  they  all,  generally  speaking,  appreciate  your 
great  worth  and  great  exertions  for  the  salvation  of  their 
souls. 

"And  now,  Rev.  Fathers,  as  your  mission  is  over  here  and 
you  are  bound  for  other  fields  to  labor  in  the  vineyard  of 
the  Lord,  it  is  the  prayer  and  good  wish  of  us  all,  that  God 
may  be  with  you  in  all  your  walks  for  the  health  and  happi- 
ness of  you  both. 


372       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

"Therefore,  Holy  Fathers,  remember  us  in  your  holy 
prayers.  ...  I  beg  you  to  accept  this  address,  on 
behalf  of  the  soldiers  of  Togus. 

"With  due  reverence,  and  best  wishes  for  your  health  and 
prosperity,  I  remain  your  humble  servant,  in  hopes  of  sal- 
vation." 


The  following  communication  bearing  on  this 
mission  appeared  in  the  Boston  Pilot: 

"Redemptorist  Mission  at  the  Soldiers'  Home.  Editor  of 
the  Pilot.  The  National  Soldiers'  Home  at  Togus,  Me.,  was 
the  scene  of  a  very  religious  and  interesting  exercise  during 
the  past  week.  On  Sunday,  the  4th  inst.,  the  Redemptorist 
Fathers  Dooper  and  Delargy,  of  Roxbury,  Mass.,  opened 
a  mission  for  the  Catholic  inmates  of  the  Home,  which  lasted 
six  days  and  was  largely  attended.  The  services  were  held 
in  the  Chapel  or  Hall,  which  is  very  handsome  and  has  a 
large  seating  capacity.  The  labors  of  the  good  Fathers 
were  an  entire  success.  Three  hundred  men  approached  the 
Sacraments.  At  the  close  of  the  mission,  which  was  very 
affecting  and  long  to  be  remembered,  Rev.  Father  Delargy 
tendered  his  warmest  thanks  for  the  gentlemanly  treatment 
and  hospitality  received  from  Governor  General  Stephenson, 
Major  Keith  and  to  all  others  who  contributed  in  rendering 
the  mission  such  a  success.  .  .  . " 

A  few  weeks  later,  Father  Delargy  received  the 
following  letter  from  the  sacristan  of  the  institution : 

"Soldiers'  Home,  May  29,  1884. 
"Dear  Father: 

"I  must  say  the  men  have  done  very  well  with  very  few 
exceptions.  Men  go  up  daily  to  the  hall  where  the  Statue 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin  is,  to  say  their  prayers,  and  in  the 
evening  there  is  a  larger  attendance  at  the  Rosary.  The 
Mission  has  done  a  great  deal  of  good.  They  liked  the  style 
of  your  preaching  very  much,  both  Protestants  and  Catho- 
lics. Give  my  best  wishes  to  Father  Dooper  and  Father 
Oates  and  accept  the  same  yourself.  When  you  think  of 
me  say  a  prayer  for  me. 

"Wishing  you  every  success  in  your  noble  undertaking; 


FOOTSTEPS  OP  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    373 

and  may  God's  choicest  blessings  fall  upon  you  is  the  sincere 
wish  of  your  friend, 

"Yours  sincerely, 

"Edw.  Hoey." 

During  the  latter  part  of  August,  Father  O'Brien 
gave  the  retreat  to  the  clergy  of  the  diocese  of 
Burlington,  Vt.  Bishop  De  Goesbriand  and  twenty- 
one  priests  attended. 

In  December,  Father  Luecking  conducted  the 
spiritual  exercises  for  the  65  students  of  St.  Joseph's 
Seminary,  Troy,  N.  Y.  The  retreat  served  as  a 
preparation  for  the  ordinations,  at  which  15  semi- 
narians were  raised  to  the  priesthood,  7  to  the  diaco- 
nate,  and  17  to  the  subdiaconate,  while  31  received 
minor  orders. 

During  the  latter  part  of  November  and  the  first 
half  of  December,  the  Fathers  gave  five  missions  in 
Harbor  Grace,  in  the  diocese  of  Newfoundland.  At 
one  of  these  missions,  that  held  at  Bay  Roberts,  the 
missionaries,  owing  to  the  violence  and  open  assaults 
of  the  Orangemen,  who  far  outnumbered  the  Catho- 
lics, were  compelled  to  leave  the  place  and  to  finish 
the  mission  in  a  neighboring  locality.  On  this  point 
Father  McGivern  writes : 

"In  this  place  (Bay  Roberts)  we  were  obliged  to  suspend 
our  mission  on  the  third  day,  owing  to  the  attacks  of  the 
Orangemen.  We  then  transferred  our  mission  to  a  neigh- 
boring church  (at  Harbor  Main),  about  three  miles  distant, 
and  there  gave  one  week  to  the  men  of  both  places  and  one 
week  to  the  women.  Thus  we  were  enabled  to  give  the  peo- 
ple an  opportunity  to  make  the  mission  in  peace. 

"At  the  urgent  request  of  Bishop  Roland  McDonald,  we 
returned  to  Bay  Roberts  on  the  4th  of  January,  1885,  hav- 
ing procured  the  protection  of  17  policemen.  But  this 
seemed  to  embitter  the  Orangemen  still  more,  and,  seeing 
that  an  attack  on  us  was  imminent,  we  called  upon  Mr.  T. 
Molloy,  the  U.  S.  Consul,  to  procure  for  us,  as  citizens  of 


374       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

the  United  States,  a  more  adequate  force  to  cope  with  the 
Orangemen.  Accordingly,  Her  Majesty's  ship,  Tenedos, 
was  despatched  to  the  scene  and  an  extra  force  of  policemen. 
We  gained  the  victory  over  the  Orangemen,  compelling  them 
to  take  down  their  obnoxious  'Orange  Arch'  and  keep  the 
peace.  Thus  we  concluded  our  work  under  military  pro- 
tection." 

The  New  York  Sun  for  January  8,  1885,  said: 

"Two  Priests  Face  a  Mob.  Bay  Roberts  Orangemen 
Wild  at  the  Sight  of  Catholic  Fathers.  They  Howl  Around 
the  Priests,  Threaten  to  Kill  Them,  and  Draw  a  Knife  on 
Father  Delargy — Saved  From  Violence  by  a  Warship. 

"St.  John's,  N.  F.,  Jan.  7. — The  recent  experience  of  the 
Redemptorist  Fathers  in  Bay  Roberts  is  remarkable.  The 
fathers  who  arrived  by  train  here  this  evening  told  this 
story  of  their  persecution  at  the  hands  of  Bay  Roberts 
Orangemen : 

"  'About  the  middle  of  December  we  began  a  mission  at 
the  request  of  Bishop  McDonald  of  Harbor  Grace,  in  Bay 
Roberts.  The  Roman  Catholics  there  are  a  feeble  minority, 
not  numbering  more  than  one-tenth  of  the  whole  population. 
About  three-fourths  of  the  adult  male  population  of  Bay 
Roberts  are  Orangemen.  As  soon  as  they  heard  of  our 
presence  there  they  started  a  demonstration,  intending  to 
frighten  us  and  drive  us  out. 

"  'We  did  not  yield  nor  flinch  to  their  bullying  and  intimi- 
dation. They  surrounded  the  house  where  we  lodged,  flung 
stones  at  the  windows,  threw  large  stones  at  the  walls,  and 
set  up  all  sorts  of  hideous  noises  outside.  Between  our 
humble  hotel  and  the  Roman  Catholic  Chapel  they  erected 
arches  and  spanned  the  road  with  Orange  flags.  They 
threatened  our  lives  as  they  had  fettered  our  liberty.  The 
mob  increased  hourly  in  force  and  fury.  They  were  being 
steadily  reinforced  from  the  small  outlying  districts.  The 
situation  was  every  hour  more  desperate  and  menacing  to 
our  lives. 

"  'One  ruffian  drew  a  large  knife  from  his  sheath  and  aimed 
it  at  Father  Delargy.  Another  gang  threatened  to  precipi- 
tate Fathers  McGivern  and  Delargy  over  the  neighboring 
precipice,  if  they  did  not  beat  a  hasty  retreat  out  of  Bay 
Roberts.  We  deemed  prudence  the  better  part  of  valor,  and, 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    375 

yielding  to  the  strong  wishes  and  insistence  of  friends,  we 
quietly  withdrew  and  went  to  Harbor  Main,  and  held  mission 
services  there  and  in  the  several  contiguous  localities. 

"  'Having  concluded  these  missions,  we  determined,  even 
at  the  sacrifice  of  our  lives,  to  complete  the  one  we  had 
opened  at  Bay  Roberts.  But  a  few  days  remained  to  us,  as 
we  had  made  arrangements  to  leave  for  New  York  by  the 
Allan  mail  steamer  Hanoverian.  We  communicated  with 
Bishop  McDonald,  and  our  plan  was  to  meet  the  Bishop  at 
Bay  Roberts. 

"  'At  ten  o'clock  Sunday  morning  last,  we  set  out  from 
Holyroad,  and  the  Bishop  from  Harbor  Grace.  At  the  time 
appointed  we  all  met  at  the  rendezvous  previously  decided 
upon.  Bishop  McDonald  was  to  celebrate  Pontifical  High 
Mass  and  the  Redemptorist  McGivern  was  to  preach  the 
mission  sermon.  The  greetings  of  the  Bishop  and  the  fathers 
on  meeting  were  hardly  exchanged,  when  a  mob  was  observed 
collecting  in  the  street.  The  crowds  were  dressed  in  any- 
thing but  holiday  attire.  Some  distance  down  the  road,  the 
Orangemen  had  erected  arches  and  had  raised  Orange  flags. 
The  Bishop  turned  round  and  said  to  the  fathers  with  great 
firmness,  "We  cannot  and  will  not  say  Mass  or  conclude  the 
mission,  if  we  are  constrained  to  pass  under  these  flags  and 
arches.  I  will  see  if  the  authorities  at  St.  John's  will  not 
protect  us  in  our  legal  rights  and  have  them  removed." 
"Neither  shall  we,"  replied  the  Redemptorists,  "submit  to 
the  indignity  of  being  compelled  to  pass  under  the  insulting 
Orange  trophies." 

"  'Bishop  McDonald  immediately  communicated  with  the 
Governor  and  Executive  at  St.  John's,  representing  in  strong 
terms  the  critical  position  in  which  his  life  and  the  lives  of 
the  Redemptorists  were  placed,  and  as  a  British  subject 
invoked  the  aid  of  the  civil  power.  The  Redemptorists  tele- 
graphed to  United  States  Consul  Molloy  and  claimed  pro- 
tection through  him  as  citizens  of  the  United  States.  The 
Consul  immediately  called  on  Gov.  Glover  and  met  with  a 
ready  response. 

"  'The  Governor  sent  a  dispatch  to  Commander  Drum- 
mond  of  the  warship  Tenedos,  ordering  that  vessel  to  pro- 
ceed to  Bay  Roberts.  The  Governor  also  sent  large  rein- 
forcements of  constabulary  by  special  train,  and  on  Monday 
all  danger  to  the  lives  of  the  Missionary  priests  had  been 
removed.  As  soon  as  the  Orangemen  pulled  down  their 


376       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

arches  and  removed  their  flags,  we  went  to  the  church  and 
resumed  and  completed  our  mission.  We  were  constantly 
guarded  by  the  magistrates  and  the  police.  We  left  Bay 
Roberts  this  morning.  Wherever  the  train  stopped  we  were 
received  with  every  mark  of  esteem  by  the  crowds  who  assem- 
bled to  cheer  us. 

"  'Our  treatment  at  Bay  Roberts  by  the  ferocious  and 
cowardly  mob  has  no  parallel  in  all  our  experience.  To- 
morrow, before  leaving  for  New  York,  we  propose  going 
before  the  United  States  Consul  and  placing  our  experiences 
at  Bay  Roberts  on  record  in  the  shape  of  a  sworn  depo- 
sition.' " 

The  New  York  Catholic  Herald  published, 
January  17,  1885,  the  following  account  of  the 
dastardly  attack: 

"Orangemen  Barricade  a  Catholic  Church. 

"The  Orangemen  of  Bay  Roberts,  Newfoundland,  are  at 
their  evil  work  again,  threatening  the  lives  of  the  Catholics, 
and  particularly  directing  their  bloody-minded  energies  at 
the  Catholic  Bishop,  Rt.  Rev.  Dr.  McDonald,  of  Harbor 
Grace,  and  the  Redemptorist  Fathers  engaged  in  missionary 
work.  An  Orangeman  fired  at  the  Bishop  a  few  days  ago, 
and  the  bullet,  as  if  by  a  positive  miracle,  missed  striking 
him  on  the  head. 

"A  few  issues  back,  the  Catholic  Herald,  the  only  news- 
paper of  its  contemporaries,  gave  the  facts  of  the  recent 
attack  of  the  Orangemen  on  the  lives  of  the  Redemptorist 
Fathers  McGivern,  O'Brien,  and  Delargy,  of  the  Church  of 
Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  Roxbury,  Mass.,  who  had  gone 
out  to  Newfoundland  to  conduct  missions  last  December,  and 
who  were  not  expected  to  return  until  about  the  middle  of 
next  March. 

"The  Orangemen  armed  to  the  number  of  1,500,  kept 
parading  the  streets  all  day  on  Monday.  They  barricaded 
the  Catholic  church  and  prevented  the  Bishop,  priests  and 
people  from  entering.  They  also  erected  Orange  arches 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  church,  so  that  those  coming 
near  the  church  for  the  purpose  of  entering  it  would  have 
to  walk  under  the  Orange  emblems,  a  sign  of  the  people's 
humiliation,  before  they  could  even  reach  their  own  church. 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    377 

"The  warship,  Tenedos,  was  ordered  to  proceed  at  once 
to  Bay  Roberts.  For  what  purpose,  we  should  like  to  know? 
To  intimidate  the  Orangemen,  we  suppose,  for  the  man-of- 
war  could  not  shell  the  place  without  making  the  innocent 
suffer  for  the  guilty.  Had  the  ship  opened  fire  upon  the 
murderers  when  they  were  congregated  in  a  body  there 
would  have  been  some  meaning  in  sending  the  Tenedos  on  its 
mission,  otherwise  the  whole  business  was  a  farce.  You  can't 
intimidate  Orangemen  when  they  are  in  superior  numbers, 
not  even  by  passing  statutory  laws  against  their  assembling 
or  acting  in  a  riotous  manner.  Your  Orangeman  does  not 
give  a  snap  of  his  fingers  for  all  the  laws  that  were  ever 
passed  against  his  order.  They  are  a  lawless  body  and 
openly  defy  the  laws,  and  glory  in  their  defiance.  .  ;  . 

"When  the  Orangemen  of  Newfoundland  begin  to  fire  at 
Catholic  Bishops  and  barricade  Catholic  churches,  it  is 
about  time  that  some  action  should  be  taken  to  prevent  mat- 
ters getting  worse. 

"The  United  States  Consul  at  St.  John's  called  upon  the 
Governor  and  asked  protection  for  the  lives  of  the  Redemp- 
torist  Fathers  who  are  citizens  of  the  United  States.  What 
action  has  President  Arthur  or  Secretary  Frelinghuysen 
taken  in  this  matter?  Are  they  to  stand  idly  by  while  the 
lives  of  our  citizens  are  jeopardized  and  leave  an  affair  of 
such  importance  to  be  limited  by  the  powers  of  a  consul? 
It  is  the  duty  of  the  President  to  communicate  instructions 
at  once,  and  imperatively,  to  our  consul  at  St.  John's,  and 
through  him  to  the  Governor  of  Newfoundland,  to  have  all 
the  protection  necessary  for  the  safety  of  our  citizens  af- 
forded instantly  to  the  Redemptorist  Fathers.  The  Presi- 
dent must  remember  that  this  is  the  second  attack  upon  the 
lives  of  those  priests  and  although  the  catastrophe  of  Mon- 
day is  partially  averted,  it  will  not  do  to  remain  inactive 
where  demons  like  the  Newfoundland  Orangemen  are  con- 
cerned. 

"The  Catholic  public  of  the  United  States  will  await  with 
no  little  anxiety  to  see  the  effect  of  President  Arthur's 
action,  immediate  action,  we  should  say,  in  protecting  the 
lives  of  our  citizens  from  an  infuriated  mob  in  Newfound- 
land. Should  there  be  hesitation  or  delay  in  a  matter  of 
such  importance,  the  result  will  probably  be  a  massacre  of 
Catholic  priests." 


378       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

From  December  19  to  29,  1884,  Fathers  O'Brien, 
McGivern,  and  Delargy  conducted  the  mission 
referred  to  previously,  at  Harbor  Main  in  the 
diocese  of  Harbor  Grace,  in  Newfoundland.  The 
people  showed  great  diligence  and  fervor  in  attend- 
ing the  exercises,  and  1,350  confessions  were  heard. 
With  regard  to  this  mission,  Father  McGivern 
writes : 

"When  we  were  leaving  this  place  to  proceed  to  Holyroad, 
the  people  turned  out  in  a  body,  men,  women,  and  children. 
They  unhitched  the  horses  from  our  carriage,  and  about 
two  hundred  men,  by  means  of  a  large  rope,  drew  us  a  dis- 
tance of  over  seven  miles.  About  twenty  men  marched  ahead 
with  banners,  flags  and  various  ensigns,  and  about  two  hun- 
dred followed,  bearing  muskets  and  large  sealing-guns. 
Every  little  while  they  would  fire  a  volley  which  rang  through 
the  hills  for  miles  around.  This  extraordinary  demonstra- 
tion was  gotten  up  for  the  purpose  of  showing  us  how  ready 
and  willing  these  brave  and  sturdy  fellows  were  to  become 
our  protectors  and  defenders  against  the  outrages  of  the 
Orangemen.  A  number  of  the  prominent  citizens  waited  on 
us  at  the  priests'  house  and  assured  us  of  their  appreciation 
and  loyalty  in  the  following  beautiful  address : 

"  'Rev.  Dear  Fathers : — 

"  'We,  the  undersigned,  on  behalf  of  the  people  of  Harbor 
Main,  are  anxious  to  give  expression  to  our  appreciation  of 
your  arduous  labors  amongst  us,  and  deem  the  present  a 
fitting  opportunity  to  thank  you  for  the  many  benefits 
which  we  have  received  at  your  hands. 

"  'During  the  past  week  we  have  listened  to  the  words  of 
life  that  flowed  from  your  lips,  and  thank  God  that  by  a 
special  Providence  we  have  been  favored  by  the  grace  of  a 
Mission.  Numbers  of  poor  wandering  sheep  have  been 
brought  back  again  to  the  fold;  the  wavering  have  been 
secured,  and  the  balm  of  holy  consolation  has  been  poured 
into  many  a  sorrowing  heart. 

"  'Therefore,  dear  Fathers,  you  will  permit  us  to  ap- 
proach you  as  humble  and  sincere  members  of  that  grand 
old  Catholic  Church  to  which  we  all  have  the  happiness  to 
belong,  and  to  lay  a  well  merited  tribute  of  gratitude  at 
your  feet.  We  know  full  well  that  human  praise  is  not  the 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    379 

motive  which  impelled  you  to  undertake  the  labors  of  a 
Missionary  in  distant  lands.  The  salvation  of  souls  and  the 
glory  of  the  great  God  are  your  only  motives ;  but  it  may 
be  pleasing  to  you,  dear  Fathers,  to  know  that  we  are  not 
unmindful  of  the  great  sacrifice  which  you  have  made  for  our 
sakes. 

"  'We  have  been  pained  beyond  measure  to  learn  that  you 
have  been  grossly  insulted  whilst  pursuing  your  peaceful 
and  holy  ministrations  in  a  certain  portion  of  this  diocese; 
but  whilst  admiring  your  generous  spirit  of  Christian  for- 
bearance on  that  trying  occasion,  we  beg  to  assure  you  that 
when  God's  honor,  the  welfare  of  Holy  Church,  and  the 
personal  safety  of  the  Missionary  will  demand  our  services, 
we  will  be  found  prepared  to  sacrifice  all  for  the  good  cause. 
The  manifestations  of  respect  for  your  saintly  character 
may  assume  larger  dimensions  in  more  favored  lands,  but 
yet  nowhere  will  you  find  hearts  truer,  warmer,  or  more  de- 
voted to  the  interests  of  religion  than  in  this  our  Island 
Home. 

"  'And  now,  dear  Fathers,  one  last  farewell.  You  are 
about  to  leave  us  and  we  may  never  see  your  faces  again. 
We  feel  grateful  for  all  the  blessings  we  have  received 
through  your  ministrations,  and  beg  to  say  that  we  will  not 
forget  to  pray  that  God  will  grant  you  a  safe  return  to 
your  own  dear  land.  And  though  we  may  not  meet  again 
here  below,  Christian  faith  consoles  us  with  the  knowledge 
of  a  better  land,  where  all  hope  to  meet  again  and  part  no 
more. 

"  'Signed  on  behalf  of  the  people  of  Harbor  Main  Parish. 

"  'Vincent  A.  Fitzsimmons,  M.  D., 

"  'Wm.  Holden,  Justice  of  the  Peace, 

"  'Richard  McDonnell,  Member,  House  of  Assembly, 

"  'Joseph  Holden, 

"  'Joseph  A.  Gorman, 

"  'Michael  Gorman.'  " 

According  to  the  records  for  1884  the  Fathers 
gave  and  assisted  at  47  missions  and  renewals  and 
conducted  8  retreats  to  priests  and  to  religious. 

The  most  prominent  mission  of  1885  was  given  at 
St.  Anne's  Church,  Montreal,  from  February  22  to 


380       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

March  15,  by  Fathers  Rathke,  Walsh,  McGivern 
and  O'Brien.  Father  Rathke  submits  the  following 
report : 

"This  mission  .  .  .  »had  an  extraordinary  effect  on 
the  entire  congregation.  The  beneficial  results  produced  by 
the  labors  of  the  Fathers  were  spoken  of  in  the  highest 
terms,  not  only  by  the  members  of  the  congregation  of  St. 
Anne,  but  also  by  others  of  the  city  of  Montreal,  and  par- 
ticularly by  some  of  the  priests.  Some  of  the  sermons  pro- 
duced a  wonderful  effect,  especially  those  on  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  which  brought  a  great  number  of  persons  of  both 
sexes  to  sincere  repentance  for  the  past  and  firm  resolution 
for  the  future.  ...  It  was  remarked  by  a  venerable 
Brother  of  the  La  Salle  Institute  that  during  his  experience 
of  fifty  years  he  had  never  witnessed  anything  so  touching 
as  the  consecration  of  the  adults  and  of  the  children  to  the 
Blessed  Virgin.  .  .  .  The  Holy  Family  Society,  al- 
ready established,  was  augmented  by  a  large  accession  of 
postulants." 

During  the  summer  of  this  year,  1885,  Father 
O'Brien  gave  retreats  to  the  clergy  of  the  following 
dioceses:  Erie,  Pa.;  St.  John,  N.  B.;  Halifax,  Nova 
Scotia,  and  Burlington,  Vt. 

At  a  missjon  given  in  January,  1886,  a  captain  in 
the  Salvation  Army  asked  to  be  received  into  the 
Church.  The  biggest  mission  of  this  year  took  place 
at  St.  Patrick's,  Montreal,  from  March  14  to  April 
5.  It  was  conducted  by  Fathers  Walsh,  Leibfritz, 
Delargy,  Denges,  and  Lutz,  and  was  made  by  6,335 
of  the  faithful.  About  the  end  of  September,  Father 
Kautz  gave  the  retreat  to  the  priests  of  the  diocese 
of  Burlington,  Vt.  A  mission  that  attracted  no 
little  attention  was  preached,  November  14-Dec- 
ember  5,  at  St.  Joseph's,  Somerville,  Mass.,  by 
Fathers  Kautz,  Walsh,  Luecking,  Delargy,  Lutz, 
and  Hickey;  3,941  people  received  the  Sacraments. 
The  Somerville  Sentinel  for  December  5,  devoted 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    381 

nearly  two  columns  to  the  mission.  The  article, 
written  in  a  very  respectful  strain,  said  among  other 
things : 

"During  the  past  three  weeks  an  unusually  large  number 
of  persons  have  been  noticed  at  various  hours  to  move  in  the 
direction  of  Union  Square.  'What  is  up?'  was  the  question 
that  was  often  asked.  The  answer  was  invariably  brief: 
'The  Mission.'  'What  is  the  Mission?'  To  those  who  are 
frequenters  of  St.  Joseph's  Catholic  Church  no  explanation 
is  needed ;  but  to  those  who  are  in  the  habit  of  assembling  in 
other  places  for  the  purpose  of  divine  worship,  a  few  remarks 
may  not  be  amiss.  .  .  . 

"A  mission  is  a  course  of  religious  exercises  given  for  the 
benefit  of  the  faithful  of  a  certain  district.  The  religious 
exercises  are  the  daily  Mass,  sermon,  instructions,  public 
prayers  and  Benediction  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  The 
object  of  the  mission  is  to  make  the  faithful  regulate  their 
lives  according  to  the  great  truths  of  religion  and  to  dispose 
them  for  a  worthy  reception  of  the  Sacraments.  These 
objects  are  sought  by  the  hard-working  missionaries,  by 
presenting  before  the  minds  of  the  people,  in  clear,  simple 
language,  the  great  religious  truths  and  instructing  them 
on  the  nature  of  the  Sacraments  and  the  dispositions  that  are 
necessary  for  the  receiving  them  in  a  worthy  manner.  .  .  . 

"Such  is  the  reason  why  the  church  has  been  thronged 
with  devout  congregations  at  the  5  o'clock  Mass  every 
morning  during  the  past  three  weeks.  The  same  cause  at- 
tracted large  numbers  to  the  evening  devotions.  Even  Sun- 
day was  no  exception,  for  devout  Catholics  are  never  tired 
of  attending  the  services  of  their  church.  .  .  . 

"Last  Sunday  evening  a  very  important  and  instructive 
lecture  was  given  in  the  church  for  the  married  men  of  the 
parish.  It  is  needless  to  mention  that  a  large  congregation 
listened  attentively  to  the  address  given  by  Father  Kautz. 
At  the  same  time  St.  Joseph's  Hall  was  literally  packed  by 
the  young  and  unmarried  men,  who  were  addressed  by  Father 
Delargy.  The  latter  reverend  gentleman  pointed  out  to  his 
hearers  in  very  simple,  but  forcible  language  what  their 
duties  were  in  their  present  state  of  life,  and  the  manner 
in  which  he  described  to  them  the  course  they  should  pursue 
when  about  to  enter  into  the  married  state,  will  not  fail  to 


382       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

have  a  good  effect  on  the  minds  of  those  who  were  so 
fortunate  as  to  have  the  opportunity  of  being  present  on  the 
occasion. 

"The  results  of  the  mission  must  be  very  gratifying  to 
the  zealous  laborers  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord.  During  the 
time  devoted  to  the  women  of  the  parish  large  congregations 
attended  each  service  devoted  to  their  especial  interests, 
and  the  same  must  be  said  of  the  men — all  evinced  the  great- 
est zeal  in  attending  the  devotions  and  instructions  given 
by  the  Redemptorist  Fathers,  whose  earnest  efforts  will  long 
be  remembered  by  the  Catholics  attached  to  St.  Joseph's 
Church  of  this  city." 

The  official  statistics  for  1886  show  28  missions 
and  renewals  and  10  retreats  to  priests  and  to 
religious. 

One  of  the  missions  of  1887  which  calls  for 
special  mention  was  that  given  February  27- 
March  14,  at  the  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  New 
Haven,  Conn.,  by  Fathers  Kautz,  Delargy,  and 
Lutz.  Nine  non-Catholics  were  left  under  instruc- 
tion, and  2,799  Catholics  made  their  confession.  At 
the  beginning  of  the  mission,  a  non- Catholic  gentle- 
man signified  his  intention  of  embracing  our  holy 
religion;  and,  in  order  to  ponder  well  the  great  step 
he  was  about  to  take,  he  remained  away  from  work 
throughout  the  whole  week.  With  an  interest  as 
keen  as  a  Toledo  blade,  he  listened  to  all  the  sermons 
and  instructions,  and  at  the  end  of  the  jnission,  had 
the  ineffable  happiness  of  being  received  into  the 
Church. 

In  the  summer  of  1887,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  De 
Goesbriand  of  Burlington,  Vt.,  again  expressed  the 
desire  to  have  a  Redemptorist  from  the  Mission 
Church  give  the  retreat  to  the  diocesan  clergy. 
Father  Rector  Mclnerney  answered  the  call  in  per- 
son. The  Bishop  and  18  priests  made  the  retreat. 

Twenty-six    missions     and     renewals     and     ten 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    383 

retreats  to  priests  and  to  religious  constitute  the 
work  of  the  missionaries  during  1887.  » 

In  January,  1888,  Fathers  Beil,  Luecking, 
Delargy,  and  Hickey,  of  this  community,  assisted 
the  Fathers  of  St.  Alphonsus',  N.  Y.,  at  a  mission 
given  at  St.  Stephen's  Church  in  that  city.  During 
three  weeks  of  hard  labor,  they  heard  7,911  con- 
fessions. 

From  February  5  to  27,  Fathers  Currier,  Beil, 
Delargy  and  Lutz  of  Boston,  aided  by  Fathers 
Walsh  and  Trimpel  of  St.  John,  N.  B.,  conducted 
a  mission  at  St.  Alphonsus',  N.  Y.  Not  only  the 
people  of  this  parish,  but  also  those  of  the  neighbor- 
ing parishes  made  the  mission  with  edifying  earnest- 
ness and  fervor.  The  number  of  confessions 
was  5,594. 

From  March  4  to  18,  Fathers  Beil,  Luecking, 
Delargy,  and  Lutz,  were  engaged  on  a  mission  at 
the  Cathedral  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  Port- 
land, Me.  Just  at  that  time,  the  city  was  hit  by  the 
famous  blizzard  of  1888,  which,  however,  had  no 
effect  on  the  attendance.  During  the  men's  mission 
especially,  the  church  was  filled  both  in  the  morning 
and  in  the  evening.  About  4,200  confessions  were 
heard,  and  the  good  wrought  along  all  lines  was  a 
source  of  great  comfort  to  the  reverend  pastor. 

One  evening  during  the  mission  at  Avon,  Mass., 
in  May,  the  cry  of  "Fire"  was  heard.  Unfortunately, 
the  house  of  one  of  the  parishioners  was  in  flames. 
Every  member  of  the  family  was  present  at  the  mis- 
sion. In  less  than  an  hour,  these  good  people  lost  all 
they  possessed.  Although  almost  heart-broken, 
they  were  all  on  hand  for  the  5  o'clock  instruction 
the  following  morning,  and  continued  to  attend  to 
the  very  end  of  the  mission.  Everybody  was  highly 
edified  by  the  fine  spirit  shown  by  this  devout  family, 


384       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

and  it  was  the  common  opinion  that  the  extraordi- 
nary success  of  the  mission  was  due  in  large  measure 
to  the  sacrifices  made  by  these  exemplary  Catholics. 

At  the  mission  given  at  St.  Michael's  Church, 
Fusket  Wedge,  Nova  Scotia,  although  the  weather 
was  very  stormy,  many  of  the  people  came  15  miles, 
fasting,  and  on  foot.  At  St.  Anne's,  Eel  Brook, 
Nova  Scotia,  as  early  as  4:00  A.  M.,  a  great  many 
people  were  waiting  outside  the  church;  most  of 
them  had  left  home  about  2  o'clock  and  had  walked 
seven  or  eight  miles.  Even  people  well  along  in 
years  walked  12  miles,  fasting,  and  were  present  at 
6:00  A.  M.  At  the  latter  place,  there  were  about 
2.000  confessions. 

In  1888  there  were  26  missions  and  9  retreats  to 
religious. 

A  mission  of  prime  importance  in  1889  was  that 
held,  October  13-27,  at  St.  Joseph's  Cathedral, 
Manchester,  N.  H.  The  missionaries  were  Fathers 
Lambert,  Lutz,  Hickey,  and  Sheehan;  4,008  confes- 
sions were  heard;  and  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Bradley 
expressed  his  entire  satisfaction  with  the  results 
achieved.  One  of  the  newspapers  thus  spoke  of  the 
mission : 

"For  a  whole  week  early  risers  may  have  noticed  crowds 
of  women,  young  and  old,  and  of  all  conditions  of  life,  but 
mostly  of  the  working  classes,  wending  their  way  to  the 
Cathedral,  before  5  o'clock,  morning  after  morning,  rain 
or  shine,  pleasant  or  cold.  They  came  in  throngs,  hundreds, 
yes,  we  might  also  say  by  the  thousand ;  these  hard  working 
girls  and  women,  packed  the  church  and  after  service  and 
instruction  hurried  off  to  snatch  a  hasty  breakfast  and  then 
away  to  their  daily  toil ;  again  at  seven  every  evening  during 
the  week  these  women  and  girls  thronged  the  streets  leading 
to  the  church.  Again  they  filled  and  crowded  every  seat  in 
it  to  positive  discomfort  and  there  passed  about  an  hour 
and  a  half  in  listening  to  instructions,  many  of  them  staying 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    385 

till  ten  o'clock  or  later,  awaiting  their  turn  at  the  con- 
fessionals. 

"Look  at  these  earnest  crowds  as  they  hastened  early  in 
the  cold  October  morning  or  as  they  filled  the  road  to  or 
from  the  church,  not  for  one  or  two  mornings  or  evenings 
but  for  a  whole  week,  and  then  tell  me,  non-Catholic  neigh- 
bors, if  their  conduct  teaches  you  no  lesson?  What  was  the 
attraction?  Is  it  a  theatre,  a  comedy,  a  tragedy,  some 
famous  singer  or  the  like  that  brings  forth  these  large 
crowds?  Not  a  bit  of  it!  Follow  them  to  the  church  in  the 
biting  morning  air.  The  crowded  Cathedral  is  silent; 
naught  is  heard  but  the  voice  of  the  priest  as  he  says  Mass 
in  a  very  low  tone.  Every  head  is  bowed  in  mute  adoration 
or  prayer  to  the  Most  High.  Then  follows  a  long  instruc- 
tion on  the  teachings  of  the  church  and  our  duties  as  Chris- 
tians, which  finished,  they  quickly  speed  away  to  work.  A 
similar  sight  awaits  you  in  the  evening. 

"So  much  for  the  women.  The  following  week,  from 
Sunday  night  to  the  following  Sunday,  the  men  repair  in 
crowds,  great,  strong,  manly  fellows,  old  and  young,  well-to- 
do  and  poor,  by  the  hundreds,  yes  by  the  thousand,  they, 
too,  set  at  naught  the  almost  necessary  luxury  of  their 
morning  nap,  preparatory  to  their  day  of  hard  toil;  they, 
too,  turn  out  of  their  warm  beds  and  in  the  chilly  air  of  the 
October  mornings  seek  the  church,  attend  the  same  services 
and  back  to  work;  and  after  their  day's  labor  they  also 
crowd  the  church  for  nearly  two  hours  at  night,  to  hear  the 
words  of  the  missionaries,  and  this,  day  after  day,  for  a 
whole  week.  Is  this  fact  also  without  a  lesson  to  you,  non- 
Catholic  neighbor? 

"Where  do  you  see  its  parallel,  since  the  days  when  the 
multitude  pressed  after  the  Nazarene;  yes,  followed  Him, 
forgetful  of  themselves  and  of  their  very  food,  till  He  Him- 
self fed  them  'lest  they  perish?'  " 

In  1889  the  Fathers  gave  26  missions  and 
renewals  and  15  retreats  to  priests  and  to  religious. 

Of  the  mission  given  at  St.  Joseph's  Church, 
Lewiston,  Maine,  from  May  4  to  18,  1890,  the 
Superior,  Father  Lutz,  says:  "This  mission  was  a 
grand  success.  I  have  never  seen  a  people  attend  a 


386       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

mission  with  such  zeal  and  fervor.  Notwithstanding 
the  inclemency  of  the  weather,  the  churcK  was 
crowded."  At  the  close  of  the  mission,  the  Sodality 
of  the  Children  of  Mary  was  established,  and  500 
young  ladies  joined  it;  3,419  of  the  faithful 
approached  the  Holy  Table. 

The  largest  mission  of  1890  was  conducted  at 
the  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  East  Cambridge, 
Mass.  The  most  impressive  feature  of  the  mission 
was  the  extraordinarily  fine  spirit  shown  by  the 
single  men.  Although  Thanksgiving  Day  occurred 
during  their  week,  there  was  not  the  slightest 
decrease  in  the  attendance.  Hundreds  of  them 
spent  practically  the  whole  day  round  the  confes- 
sionals, waiting  their  turn  to  be  heard. 

For  the  year  1890,  the  missionaries  have  to  their 
credit  23  missions  and  renewals  and  11  retreats  to 
religious. 

A  vast  amount  of  good  was  done  by  the  mission 
given,  February  15-March  15,  1891,  at  the  Church 
of  the  Gate  of  Heaven,  S.  Boston,  by  Fathers  Trim- 
pel,  Lutz,  Sheehan,  and  Crosby.  At  the  end  of  the 
first  week,  500  more  people  were  present  at  Sunday 
Mass  than  at  any  time  since  the  pastor's  advent  to 
the  church,  in  June,  1890.  At  the  end  of  the  fourth 
week,  an  extra  Mass  had  to  be  said,  in  order  to 
accommodate  all  who  came.  Six  hundred  and  fifty 
married  women  and  five  hundred  and  ninety  single 
women  joined  their  respective  sodalities.  With  re- 
gard to  the  men's  societies  the  Superior  of  the  mis- 
sion, Father  Trimpel,  says,  "Judging  from  the 
fervor  with  which  the  men  attended  the  mission,  I 
feel  confident  that  their  societies  will  bear  comparison 
with  the  Ladies'  Sodality." 

At  the  beginning  of  one  of  the  missions  held  in 
the  late  spring  of  this  year,  1891,  the  reverend  pas- 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY    387 

tor  expressed  the  hope  that  his  organist,  an  Episco- 
palian, would  become  a  Catholic.  This  gentleman 
had  played  the  organ  in  the  church  for  more  than 
30  years,  and,  what  is  more  remarkable,  had  never 
taken  a  penny  for  his  services;  on  the  contrary,  he 
had  been  the  most  generous  contributor  to  every 
collection.  By  dispensation,  he  had  married  a 
Catholic,  and,  true  to  the  solemn  promises  he  had 
made  before  his  marriage,  had  brought  up  all  his 
children  in  our  holy  faith.  He  delighted  in  teaching 
them  their  prayers,  and  as  soon  as  the  parochial 
school  in  town  had  been  opened,  he  had  sent  them  to 
it.  Having  never  missed  a  Sunday  in  the  discharge 
of  his  duties  as  organist,  he  had  heard  every  sermon 
preached  at  the  High  Mass  for  30  years.  He  had 
attended  four  missions  before  the  one  of  which  we 
are  speaking,  and  had  always  been,  as  the  pastor 
said,  "  an  attentive  listener."  On  the  last  day  of  the 
mission,  Father  Trimpel  sought  an  interview  with 
this  remarkable  man,  and  requested  him  to  make 
known  the  doubts  and  fears  that  kept  him  from 
becoming  a  Catholic.  "  By  the  grace  of  God,"  says 
the  Father,  "  I  settled  them  to  his  satisfaction,  and 
received  him  into  the  Church,  Sunday  evening, 
June  14,  to  the  joy  of  his  beloved  family  and  the 
gratification  of  the  zealous  pastor." 

In  the  summer  of  1891,  a  mission-house  was 
opened  by  the  Redemptorist  Fathers  at  Saratoga 
Springs,  N.  Y.  As  this  foundation  was  not  far 
from  the  New  England  States,  it  drew  a  great  many 
missions  away  from  the  Boston  house;  moreover, 
three  missionaries  from  here  were  assigned  to  the  new 
establishment  and  their  places  left  unfilled.  Hence 
for  a  considerable  time  there  was  a  decided  abate- 
ment in  the  missionary  activities  of  the  Boston 
Community.  For  a  period  of  ten  years  begin- 


388       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

p 

ning  with  1891,  the  annual  average  was  only  10  mis- 
sions, 3  renewals,  and  9  retreats. 

During  the  mission  at  St.  Margaret's  Church, 
Beverly  Farms,  Mass.,  in  September,  1893,  the  Rev. 
James  Feeney,  C.  SS.R.,  one  of  the  missionaries, 
administered  the  last  Sacraments  to  Col.  Jerome 
Napoleon  Bonaparte,  the  legitimate  heir  to  the 
throne  of  France. 

The  second  largest  mission  in  the  history  of  the 
community  was  given,  November  21  to  December 
19,  1897,  at  the  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  East 
Cambridge,  Mass.,  by  the  Rev.  Fathers  Sheehan, 
John  Schneider,  Peter  Doyle,  Cullen,  Curran,  and 
Corr.  It  was  a  real  old-time  mission,  brimful  of 
fervor,  enthusiasm,  practical  and  militant  faith. 
Eight  thousand  six  hundred  and  forty-six  confessions 
were  heard. 

From  1901  to  1910  inclusive,  there  was  an  annual 
average  of  25  missions,  8  renewals  and  36  retreats. 
In  the  latter  year,  the  demand  for  missions  and  kin- 
dred exercises  became  so  great  that  from  then  until 
now  this  community  has  been  constantly  obliged  to 
call  on  other  Redemptorist  houses  for  help.  During 
this  cycle,  1901-1910,  the  years  that  stand  out  prom- 
inently are:  1906,  with  26  missions  and  49  retreats; 

1907,  with  35  missions,  9  renewals,  and  35  retreats; 

1908,  with  44  missions,  9  renewals,  and  43  retreats. 
In  1909,  there  were  22  renewals — the  largest  annual 
number  in  the  history  of  the  Boston  Community. 

From  1910  to  1920,  the  yearly  average  was: 
missions,  43;  renewals,  4;  retreats,  29.  During  this 
period,  the  blue-ribbon  year  was  1917,  with  80  mis- 
sions, 3  renewals,  and  28  retreats. 

The  mission  given  at  the  Cathedral  of  the  Holy 
Cross,  Boston,  Mass.,  from  February  21  to  March  7, 
1915,  by  the  Rev.  Fathers  Richard  Donohoe,  Wil- 


FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  GREAT  MISSIONARY  389 

Ham  B.  Kenna,  John  O'Leary,  and  Joseph  P. 
Turner,  justly  deserves  mention.  At  the  close  of 
the  mission,  His  Eminence  Cardinal  O'Connell 
presided.  Just  before  bestowing  the  Papal  bless- 
ing, His  Eminence  delivered  an  address  to  the  men. 
which,  like  all  his  other  addresses,  was  a  master- 
piece of  thought  and  diction.  The  number  of  con- 
fessions was  5,265.  This  mission  was  followed  by 
another  at  the  Cathedral  two  years  later.  On  the 
latter  occasion,  the  missionaries  were  the  Rev. 
Fathers  Turner,  O'Leary,  Conway,  and  Treanor. 
Four  thousand  five  hundred  and  six  confessions 
were  heard. 

The  first  non-Catholic  mission  in  the  history  of 
the  community  was  given  at  the  Cathedral  of  the 
Holy  Cross,  Boston,  Mass.,  March  21  to  28,  1915, 
by  the  Rev.  Joseph  P.  Turner,  C.  SS.  R.  The 
average  attendance  at  the  lectures  was  3,000,  and 
the  mission  attracted  widespread  attention  and 
interest.  The  Boston  Globe  gave  the  discourses 
practically  in  full.  The  list  of  subjects  was  as  fol- 
lows: Sunday,  March  21 — "The  Kingdom  pf  God 
is  One";  Tuesday,  March  23— "The  Kingdom  of 
God  is  Holy";  Wednesday,  March  24— "The  King- 
dom of  God  is  Universal  and  Apostolic";  Thursday, 
March  25 — "The  Treasures  of  the  Kingdom  of 
God";  Friday,  March  26— "The  Return  to  the 
Kingdom  of  God";  Sunday,  March  28— "The 
Queen  and  Mother  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  on 
Earth." 

An  Interesting  Summary. 

Since  the  establishment  of  the  community  in  1871, 
the  missionaries  have  labored  in  the  following 
twenty-eight  dioceses  in  the  United  States: 


390       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Boston,  Portland,  Manchester,  Burlington, 
Springfield,  Fall  River,  Providence,  Hartford,  New 
York,  Brooklyn,  Albany,  Syracuse,  Ogdensburg, 
Rochester,  Buffalo,  Erie,  Pittsburgh,  Scranton, 
Harrisburg,  Philadelphia,  Newark,  Trenton,  Wil- 
mington, Baltimore,  Richmond,  Rockford,  111.,  Mil- 
waukee, St.  Paul;  and  in  the  following  eleven  dio- 
ceses in  Canada:  Quebec,  Montreal,  St.  John,  Hali- 
fax, Chatam,  Charlottetown,  Harbor  Grace,  Antig- 
onish,  Toronto,  London,  Hamilton. 

The  total  number  of  missions  on  record  is  1,137 
(of  which  37  were  given  at  cathedral  churches) ;  of 
renewals,  251;  of  retreats,  889  (of  which  29  were 
preached  to  priests) .  The  number  of  converts  made 
on  the  missions  is  about  1,400.  It  would  be  impos- 
sible to  give  the  exact  number  of  confessions  heard 
on  missions,  renewals,  and  retreats,  but  as  far  as  the 
figures  go,  the  total  is  about  2,600,000. 

May  all  the  good  done  on  the  missions  redound 
to  the  greater  honor  and  glory  of  Our  Lady  of 
Perpetual  Help,  the  Mother  of  the  Good  Shepherd, 
under  whose  fostering  care  the  missionaries  have 
labored  so  nobly! 


THE  SCHOOL  —  ITS  GROWTH  AND  TRIUMPHS. 

At  its  first  opening,  in  September,  1889,  the  Mis- 
sion Church  School  registered  914  pupils;  by  the  mid- 
dle of  October  the  number  had  increased  to  1,000. 
Within  a  year  or  two  the  school  had  made  such 
rapid  strides  that  the  Boston  Herald  for  July  2, 
1891,  said: 

"The  banner  parochial  school  of  the  city  in  point  of  num- 
bers and  rapidity  of  growth  since  its  opening  two  years 
ago  is  the  school  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  in  Rox- 
bury. 

"To  this  school  1,142  pupils  come  daily  for  instruction, 
of  these  700  are  girls.  Under  the  tireless  efforts  of  the 
pastor,  Rev.  John  J.  Frawley,  C.SS.R.,  and  the  valuable 
assistance  of  the  energetic  sisters  in  charge  of  the  school, 
it  stands  today  among  the  first  of  its  grade  for  general 
efficiency  and  progress.  The  sessions,  and  the  branches 
taught,  are  similar  to  those  in  public  schools,  with  vocal 
music  and  sight  reading  taught  according  to  the  normal 
system  by  Prof.  Meisler.  ..." 

In  July,  1894,  the  school  received,  as  attestations 
of  superior  merit,  two  diplomas  from  the  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Educational  Exhibit  of  the  World's 
Fair,  held  the  previous  year  in  Chicago.  According 
to  the  inscription  on  the  parchment,  the  first  diploma 
was  awarded  for  "class  work  and  drawing."  The 
document  is  printed  in  letters  of  gold;  the  medal  is 
set  on  a  blue  ribbon  with  gold  fringe  and  pendants. 
The  second  diploma,  bestowed  for  "class  and  needle 
work,"  was  awarded  Sept.  14,  1893,  in  accordance 
with  the  resolutions  of  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishops  of 
the  United  States. 


392       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

At  the  beginning  of  the  school  term  in  1896,  1,526 
children  (688  boys  and  838  girls)  were  enrolled. 

In  1902  the  original  school  building  became  inade- 
quate to  accommodate  the  constantly  increasing  num- 
ber of  children,  and  one  room  in  the  new  building  on 
St.  Alphonsus  Street  was  set  aside  for  school  pur- 
poses. The  number  of  rooms  thus  utilized  at  the 
present  time  in  the  overflow  school  building  is  9, 
making  a  total  of  33  classrooms. 

In  1902  the  ninth-grade  pupils  began  to  take  the 
examinations  given  by  the  reverend  supervisor  of 
parochial  schools.  Concurrently,  the  custom  was  in- 
troduced of  holding  competitive  examinations  for 
the  four  scholarships  awarded  annually  by  Boston 
College.  Since  then  the  following  boys  from  the 
Mission  Church  School  have  won  the  coveted  prizes : 

Daniel  Sullivan '02  Paul  Lynch '10 

John  Athridge '03  James  Byrne '11 

Raymond  Mclnnis '04  Matthew  Tobin '12 

Thomas  Kennedy '04  James  Ryan '13 

James  Troy '05  Edmund  Hayden   '14 

John  Fitzgerald '05  Francis  Gorman '14 

Milton  Stone '06  John  Hall '14 

Edward  Byrne '06  John  Conroy '14 

William  Collins '06  James  Morley . .  .'15 

John  Collins '07  James  Keane '15 

Francis  Matchett,  '20 

The  above  table  shows:  1 — That  of  the  76  schol- 
arships awarded  by  Boston  College,  from  1902  to 
1920  inclusive,  no  less  than  21  have  been  won  by 
pupils  of  the  Mission  Church  School;  2 — That  in 
1914  our  boys  carried  off  all  four.  In  1911  the 
Councils  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus  of  Boston  of- 
fered prizes  to  the  children  of  the  parochial  schools 
for  the  best  assay  on  "  Columbus  and  His  Discov- 
ies."  Over  600  pupils  competed,  and  9  prizes  were 


THE  SCHOOL  393 

bestowed,  2  of  which  went  to  children  of  the  Mission 
Church  School :  John  Bagwell  and  Elizabeth  Gillis. 
In  1915  every  one  of  the  157  graduates  received  the 
Archdiocesan  Diploma  of  Honorable  Mention ;  this 
means  that  the  average  of  each  for  the  six  branches  of 
the  examination  was  at  least  85  per  cent. 

In  the  light  of  this  fine  showing,  it  is  easy  to  un- 
derstand how  Masters  of  the  High  School  and  men 
prominent  in  the  business  world  have  often  praised 
the  Mission  Church  School,  and  given  it  a  very  hon- 
orable place  among  all  Boston's  elementary  schools. 
The  present  enrollment  of  the  school  is  about  2,000; 
2,764  pupils  have  received  diplomas ;  the  largest  class 
to  be  graduated  was  that  of  1917,  which  numbered 
217  children:  117  boys  and  100  girls. 

The  Mission  Church  School  has  an  honorable  rec- 
ord of  war  activities;  the  pupils  invested  $6,882.25  in 
the  War  Savings  and  Thrift  Stamps;  all  of  them 
joined  the  Junior  Red  Cross  Society,  to  which  they 
contributed  $1,000;  as  Victory  Boys  and  Girls,  they 
gave  $1,169.41;  many  of  the  girls,  moreover,  made 
articles  of  clothing  for  the  Belgian  refugees.  In  all, 
the  Mission  Church  School  children  aided  the  cause 
to  the  sum  of  $9,151.66. 

The  success  which  the  school  has  achieved  is  due 
not  only  to  the  Fathers,  who  have  always  taken  the 
greatest  personal  interest  in  the  education  of  the  chil- 
dren, but  also  to  the  highly  efficient  teachers  by  whom 
it  is  conducted,  the  School  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame. 
For  nearly  thirty-two  years,  these  devoted  nuns  have 
done  such  splendid  and  enduring  work  in  training 
and  educating  the  little  ones  of  the  parish,  as  to  merit 
the  profound  and  lasting  gratitude  of  the  Fathers 
and  of  the  parishioners. 

The  past  Superiors  of  the  school  have  been : 


394       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Sister  Mary  Elise     1889-1898 

Sister  Mary  Edwardine    1898-1899 

Sister  Mary  Theophora 1899-1900 

Sister  Mary  Thomasine 1900-1904 

Sister  Mary  Elise     1904-1910 

Sister  Mary  Philemon    1910-1920 

The  present  Superior  is  Sister  Mary  John. 

Only  once  since  the  coming  of  the  Sisters  to  Rox- 
bury,  has  there  been  a  death  in  the  community — that 
of  Sister  Mary  Grace  (Agnes  Carey),  who  on  July 
21, 1894,  after  a  lingering  illness,  received  the  eternal 
crown.  She  passed  away  as  calmly  and  peacefully 
as  the  sun  sinks  below  the  horizon.  As  she  had  ex- 
pressed the  wish  to  have  Father  Frawley  attend  her 
in  her  dying  moments,  it  was  arranged  that  he  should 
be  notified  of  her  approaching  dissolution  by  the 
placing  of  a  lighted  lamp  at  the  window  of  her  room. 
Very  early  in  the  morning  on  the  day  of  her  death, 
Father  Frawley,  seeing  the  ominous  light,  hastened 
to  her  bedside,  and  assisted  her  soul  into  a  happy 
eternity. 

The  Solemn  Funeral  Mass,  which  took  place  on 
July  23,  was  thus  described  by  the  Boston  Globe: 

"Impressive  Funeral  Services  To-day  at  the  Mission 
Church. 

"Funeral  services  over  the  remains  of  Sister  Mary  Grace, 
of  the  Convent  of  Notre  Dame  were  held  at  the  Church  of 
Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  this  morning.  The  deceased 
was  much  beloved  by  the  pupils  of  the  school  and  all  were 
present  to  do  honor  to  her  memory. 

"Sister  Grace  was  robed  in  the  garb  she  loved  so  well,  and 
she  looked  as  if  she  were  only  sleeping.  Her  habit  was  of 
black  serge  with  white  guimpe,  white  veil,  and  a  long  flowing 
black  veil.  On  her  head  was  the  crown  of  thorns  which  she 
wore,  when  she  made  her  solemn  profession,  and  in  her  hands 
was  the  parchment  containing  the  vows  she  took  when  she 
entered  the  order,  and  the  crucifix  and  beads. 

"The  rosewood  coffin  rested  on  a  bier  in  the  center  of  the 
parlor  and  was  completely  hidden  with  beautiful  floral  de- 


THE  SCHOOL  395 

signs,  the  gifts  of  pupils  and  friends.  The  most  noticeable 
was  a  handsome  pillow  from  the  parents  of  the  deceased  and 
an  exquisite  design  from  her  brother  and  sister.  The  walls 
of  the  parlor  were  festooned  with  black  folds  of  crape, 
caught  up  with  white  rosebuds,  and  a  number  of  lights  in 
shrouded  candelabras  surrounding  a  silver  crucifix  mingled 
their  radiance  with  the  sun's  rays  that  streamed  in  through 
the  windows,  relieving  the  sombre  appearance  of  the  par- 
lors. 

"At  8:45  the  remains  were  borne  to  the  church  by  twelve 
young  graduates  of  the  school,  wearing  badges.  They  were : 
Joseph  A.  Power,  Harry  Cleary,  Joseph  Nilan,  Joseph  Gal- 
lagher, Edward  Norton,  Charles  McKenzie,  Edward  Martin, 
Thomas  Fitzpatrick,  Frank  Daley,  Michael  Cotter,  John 
O'Regan,  and  Michael  Mulligan.  The  chief  mourners  were 
the  brother  and  sister  of  the  deceased.  Then  came  the  sis- 
ters of  the  convent,  preceded  by  the  Superior,  Sister  Elise. 
Next  came  the  pupils  and  a  long  line  of  mourners. 

"The  street  adjoining  the  church  was  lined  with  spec- 
tators, and  as  the  procession  passed  all  heads  were  rever- 
ently bared. 

"The  Rector,  Rev.  J.  J.  Frawley,  C.SS.R.,  and  a  large 
number  of  priests  and  altar  boys  carrying  lighted  tapers 
met  the  cortege  at  the  principal  entrance  and  preceded  the 
remains  down  the  aisle,  chanting  the  De  Profundis. 

"A  Solemn  High  Mass  was  celebrated  by  Fr.  Frawley, 
with  Fr.  Curran  of  Beverly  as  deacon,  Fr.  Corduke,  C.SS.R., 
as  subdeacon,  and  Fr.  Gareis  as  Master  of  Ceremonies.  The 
Gregorian  Chant  was  touchingly  rendered  by  the  children's 
choir  under  the  direction  of  Thomas  Watterson,  and  at  the 
close  of  the  services  they  sang  with  much  effect  'Pie  Jesu.' 

"The  coffin  was  opened  in  the  vestibule,  where  many  thou- 
sands were  allowed  to  look  upon  the  familiar  features  for 
the  last  time.  The  children  were  particularly  affected  and 
their  sobs  and  tears  spoke  more  eloquently  than  words  of 
the  love  they  bore  their  kind  teacher. 

"Contrary  to  the  usual  custom  the  interior  of  the  church 
had  no  signs  of  mourning  in  accordance  with  the  rules  of 
the  order,  and  the  candelebra  were  white  instead  of  black, 
while  the  altars  were  ablaze  with  lights.  During  the  ser- 
vices, however,  the  solemn  tolling  of  the  bell  mingled  with 
the  sad  tones  of  the  requiem.  A  long  line  of  carriages  fol- 
lowed the  remains  to  Mt.  Benedict,  where  the  interment 
took  place,  the  clergy  chanting  the  'Benedictus.'  " 


396       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


The  School  Sisters  of  Notre  Dams. 

The  Redemptorist  Fathers  of  Boston,  mindful  of 
what  they  owe  to  the  School  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame, 
gladly  seize  this  opportunity  of  testifying  publicly 
to  their  high  admiration  for  this  institute  which 
stands  out  so  prominently  among  the  many  orders 
devoted  to  teaching. 

The  Congregation  of  the  School  Sisters  of  Notre 
Dame  is  a  transformation  of  the  French  "  Congrega- 
tion de  Notre  Dame,"  founded  in  France,  in  1597, 
by  St.  Peter  Fourier,  an  Augustinian  monk.  The 
object  of  the  members  is  to  devote  themselves  to  the 
education  of  youth,  to  train  the  children  under  their 
charge  in  the  duties  and  practises  of  the  Christian 
life,  as  also  to  instruct  them  in  the  necessary  and 
useful  branches  of  knowledge  suitable  to  their  age, 
and  condition  in  society. 

St.  Peter  Fourier  (1565-1640)  was  so  remarkable 
for  his  kindness  of  heart,  learning,  and  zeal  for  souls 
as  to  merit  the  title  of  the  "good  father  of  Mattain- 
court,"  the  place  where  he  began  his  career  as  parish 
priest  on  the  Feast  of  Corpus  Christi,  1597.  At  that 
time  the  spiritual  condition  of  the  town  was  deplor- 
able, but  the  holy  canon,  by  his  solid  instructions,  his 
eloquent  example,  and  continual  prayer  rooted  out 
the  disorders  that  prevailed  and  revived  the  practise 
of  religion.  He  realized  fully  that  in  order  to  perpet- 
ate  his  work,  it  would  be  necessary  to  pay  special 
attention  to  the  education  of  the  children.  At  first 
he  set  to  work  with  the  boys,  but  in  the  designs  of 
God,  that  task  was  to  devolve  on  John  Baptist  de 
La  Salle.  Fourier,  therefore,  determined  to  found  an 
order  of  women  who  would  give  themselves  to 


THE  SCHOOL  397 

the  education  of  female  youth,  not  only  within  the 
walls  of  their  cloister,  as  was  the  custom  at  that  time, 
but  also  outside  those  walls. 

His  first  spiritual  daughter  was  a  young  woman  of 
his  parish,  Alix  le  Clerc,  who  was  soon  joined  by  four 
other  highly  gifted  and  deeply  pious  young  ladies. 
Moved  by  the  zealous  exhortations  of  their  saintly 
pastor,  these  noble  women  enthusiastically  offered  to 
devote  themselves  to  the  laudable  work  of  giving  in- 
structions in  Christian  doctrine  gratuitously  to  the 
poor  girls  of  the  parish.  During  the  midnight  Mass 
on  Christmas,  1598,  the  five  young  heroines  of  Christ 
presented  themselves  to  the  Saint,  and  were  robed 
by  him  in  a  plain  black  habit  and  black  veil  as  a  sign 
of  their  renunciation  of  the  world.  Thus,  at  the  man- 
ger of  the  Heavenly  Babe,  the  order  that  was  des- 
tined to  lead  countless  souls  to  the  knowledge  and 
the  love  of  the  Incarnate  God,  sprang  into  existence. 
Shortly  afterwards,  St.  Peter  Fourier  confided  the 
young  company  to  the  care  of  the  Countess  d'Apre- 
mont,  canoness  of  the  chapter  of  Poissy,  by  whom 
they  were  trained  in  the  elementary  principles  of  the 
religious  life.  The  Saint  himself  drew  up  rules  for 
them,  which  the  Bishop  of  Toul  approved. 

Under  the  fostering  care  and  incessant  vigilance  of 
the  saintly  founder  and  of  his  first  daughter  in  the 
Lord,  known  in  religion  as  Mother  Theresa  of  Jesus, 
the  mustard- seed  of  the  new  congregation  grew  to  be 
a  giant  tree  that  spread  its  branches  over  France  and 
Germany. 

But,  alas !  during  the  French  Revolution,  its  ninety 
convents  in  France  were  suppressed,  and  soon  after, 
those  in  Germany  fell  a  prey  to  the  so-called  seculari- 
zation. 

Conspicuous  among  those  who  lamented  the  sup- 
pression of  the  schools  and  convents  were  the  saintly 


398       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

bishop  of  Ratisbon,  George  Michael  Witmann,  and 
his  pious  friend,  Father  Francis  Sebastian  Job.  The 
convent  school  of  the  Congregation  de  Notre  Dame 
in  Ratisbon,  Bavaria,  was  one  of  those  secularized 
and  closed  in  1809.  But  it  was  precisely  this  house  that 
Divine  Providence  had  destined  to  be  the  instrument 
for  the  foundation  of  a  separate  but  related  congre- 
gation. 

Bishop  Witmann  found  in  a  pupil  of  the  sup- 
pressed convent  school,  Caroline  Gerhardinger,  the 
link  between  the  parent  congregation  and  its  off- 
spring, which  was  to  bear  the  name  of  the  "  School 
Sisters  of  Our  Lady."  Both  he  and  Father  Job 
agreed  that  the  rules  and  constitutions  of  St.  Peter 
Fourier  should  be  the  basis  for  the  prospective  con- 
gregation, but  with  such  modifications  as  were  suited 
to  modern  conditions.  Thenceforth,  the  Sisters  were 
to  be  allowed  to  teach  school  in  smaller  towns  and  in 
rural  parishes,  a  truly  providential  design,  as  the 
sequel  showed,  for  the  members  of  the  institute 
were  thus  enabled  to  accomplish  greater  things  in  the 
field  of  Christian  education. 

Caroline  Gerhardinger  made  her  religious  profes- 
sion as  Sister  Mary  Theresa  of  Jesus,  on  Nov.  16, 
1834.  About  a  year  and  a  half  afterwards,  April  10, 
1836,  the  first  investiture  of  novices  took  place,  seven 
postulants  receiving  the  habit  and  veil  at  Neunburg 
vorm  Wald,  from  the  hands  of  Mother  Theresa,  who 
on  that  day  herself  donned  the  religious  garb  for  the 
first  time. 

So  abundantly  did  Almighty  God  bless  the  congre- 
gation that  within  five  years  the  mother  house  at 
Neunburg  proved  too  small.  In  1841,  at  the  request 
of  King  Louis  the  First,  of  Bavaria,  it  was  re- 
moved to  "The  Au"  (the  Meadow).  This,  like- 
wise, proving  too  small,  the  former  convent  of  the 


THE  SCHOOL  399 

Poor  Clares,  which  dated  back  to  1284,  was  pur- 
chased, restored,  and  deeded  over  to  the  School  Sis- 
ters of  Notre  Dame.  The  new  establishment  was 
solemnly  blessed,  October  16,  1843,  by  His  Grace 
Archbishop  Lothaire  Anselm  of  Munich. 

On  January  23,  1854,  His  Holiness  Pius  IX  con- 
firmed the  Congregation  of  the  School  Sisters  of 
Notre  Dame  as  an  order  distinct  from  the  original 
institute  founded  by  St.  Peter  Fourier.  The  consti- 
tutions of  the  new  society  were  approved  by  the  same 
illustrious  Pontiff  July  13,  1859,  and  again  August 
26,  1865.  Thus  stamped  with  the  approval  of  the 
Vicar  of  Christ,  the  Congregation  made  wonderful 
progress  and  wrought  high  and  holy  things  in  the 
glorious  cause  of  Christian  education. 

On  July  31,  1847,  the  first  School  Sisters  of  Notre 
Dame  to  come  to  America  landed  at  New  York. 
They  were  invited  to  this  country  by  Bishop  O'Connor 
of  Pittsburgh  at  the  request  of  the  Redemptorist 
Fathers.  There  were  six  nuns  in  the  party;  two  of 
whom,  the  Venerable  Mother  General  Theresa  of 
Jesus  and  Sister  Mary  Emanuela,  a  novice  and  a 
companion  of  the  Mother,  were  to  return  to  Europe ; 
the  four  others,  who  were  to  remain  in  America  of 
their  own  free  choice,  were  Sisters  Seraphina  von 
Pronath,  Mary  Magdalena,  Mary  Barbara  and  Mary 
Caroline.  The  last,  though  the  youngest  of  all,  was 
destined  to  be  the  Superior  for  42  years  and  to  ac- 
complish marvels  for  the  Congregation.  The  brave 
pioneers  were  bound  for  St.  Mary's,  Elk  Co.,  Pa., 
where  they  arrived  on  the  Feast  of  the  Assumption. 
On  the  way,  Sister  Emanuela  died  at  Harrisburg. 

As  St.  Mary's  was  then  in  the  heart  of  the  dense 
forests  of  Pennsylvania,  MotherTheresa  quickly  saw 
that  it  was  not  suitable  for  a  permanent  foundation, 
least  of  all  for  the  mother  house,  as  had  been  original- 


400       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

ly  intended.  In  her  search  for  another  location,  she 
consulted  the  Rev.  John  N.  Neumann,  C.  SS.R., 
then  Superior  of  the  Redemptorists  in  Pittsburgh. 
Father  Neumann  decided  that  Baltimore  would  fill 
all  the  requirements,  and  secured  a  house  on  Aisquith 
Street,  near  St.  James's  Church,  where,  in  October, 
1847,  the  community  was  formally  established. 

When  the  success  of  the  Sisters'  work  in  Baltimore 
became  known,  invitations  from  various  parts  of  the 
country  began  to  pour  in  upon  them.  Before  long 
they  established  a  solid  reputation  as  a  corps  of  able, 
well-trained  teachers,  who  followed  a  regular  course 
of  instruction  in  a  carefully  arranged  plan  of  studies. 
Within  a  few  years  houses  of  the  order  sprang  up  in 
Pittsburgh,  Philadelphia,  and  Buffalo.  By  a  decree 
dated  October  10,  1850,  Sister  Caroline  was  appoint- 
ed "Vicar  General"  of  the  whole  community  in 
America,  with  orders  to  fix  her  residence  in  Milwau- 
kee, Wisconsin.  In  1876,  the  foundations  in  the  East 
were  erected  into  a  separate  province,  with  the  mother 
house  in  Baltimore. 

Mother  Caroline  proved  to  be  a  fine  type  of  the 
"valiant  woman"  spoken  of  in  Holy  Scripture.  In 
ability,  zeal,  courage,  determination,  and  boundless 
confidence  in  God,  she  bears  comparison  with  the 
great  St.  Theresa  of  Avila.  The  Church  in  America 
owes  her  an  eternal  debt  of  gratitude  for  her  tireless 
labors  in  the  cause  of  parochial  schools.  On  this 
point  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Spalding  said  of 
her:  "Her  services  in  behalf  of  parochial  schools  are 
of  inestimable  value,  as  without  parish  schools  there 
is  no  hope  that  the  Church  will  be  able  to  maintain 
itself  in  America." 

At  the  present  time  the  Congregation  of  the  School 
Sisters  of  Notre  Dame  is  ably  governed  by  Mother 
Stanislaus  Kostka,  who  is  the  fifth  Commissary  Gen- 
eral of  the  order. 


THE  SCHOOL  401 

In  this  country,  besides  the  central  establishment 
in  Milwaukee,  the  Congregation  maintains  provin- 
cial houses  in  Baltimore,  St.  Louis,  and  at  Mankato, 
in  Minnesota.  According  to  the  latest  official  statis- 
tics, it  counts  4,655  members  and  121,913  pupils. 
The  School  Sisters  conduct  322  schools,  11  orphan- 
ages, 8  boarding-schools,  14  high  schools,  1  Indian 
school,  1  deaf-mute  institute,  and  3  schools  for  col- 
ored children.  It  has  foundations  in  30  dioceses  in  the 
United  States,  in  one  diocese  in  Canada,  and  in  Porto 
Rico,  where  it  has  charge  of  two  schools. 

The  able  article  on  the  Congregation,  in  "  The 
Queen's  Work"  for  April,  1918,  from  which  we 
have  taken  most  of  the  foregoing  items,  thus  con- 
cludes : 

"The  religious  community  of  the  School  Sisters  is  of  a 
truly  cosmopolitan  character,  as  American  as  it  is  Cath- 
olic. Our  Country's  motto  'E  pluribus  Unum'  finds  an  ad- 
missible illustration  in  this  sisterhood  and  its  work.  The 
Sisters  conduct  English,  French,  German,  Bohemian,  Ital- 
ian, Lithuanian,  Polish,  Slovak,  and  Spanish  schools." 

It  is  the  devout  wish  and  fervent  prayer  of  the 
Fathers  of  the  Mission  Church  that  the  School  Sis- 
ters of  Notre  Dame,  here  and  everywhere  else,  now 
and  at  all  other  times,  may  enjoy  every  grace  and 
blessing  under  the  sheltering  mantle  of  Our  Lady  of 
Perpetual  Help. 


CHURCH  SOCIETIES. 

In  every  well-regulated  parish,  one  finds  certain 
pious  societies,  the  general  purpose  of  which  is  to 
sustain  or  renew  fervor  of  spirit  and  to  make  for  a 
more  practical  and  sturdy  faith.  Hence  the  Church 
has  expressly  declared  that  the  faithful  are  to  be 
praised  if  they  join  such  associations  established  or  at 
least  recommended  by  her. 


The  Archconfraternity  of  the  Holy  Family. 

The  principal  society  in  all  Redemptorist  parishes 
is  the  Archconfraternity  of  the  Holy  Family,  which 
was  established  at  Liege,  Belgium,  in  1844,  by  Mon- 
sieur Henry  Belletable.  This  gentleman,  a  non-com- 
missioned officer  of  engineers  and  at  the  same  time 
an  ardent  propagator  of  the  Society  of  St.  Vincent 
de  Paul,  communicated  to  the  Rev.  Victor 
Deschamps,  C.  SS.R.  (afterwards  Cardinal  Arch- 
bishop, and  Primate  of  Belgium),  his  intention  of  as- 
sembling a  number  of  workmen  on  one  night  in  each 
week  for  the  purpose  of  joining  in  prayer  and  pious 
reading  and  of  encouraging  one  another  in  the  prac- 
tice of  Christian  virtue.  Father  Deschamps  ap- 
proved the  plan,  and  on  Whitmonday,  the  pious  offi- 
cer and  a  few  workingmen  met  in  a  room  belonging 
to  a  poor  carpenter.  The  leader  pointed  out  the  end 
he  had  in  view,  the  difficulties  to  be  overcome,  and  the 
means  to  be  employed  in  order  to  insure  success. 
"  My  friends,"  said  he,  "  being  employed  at  the  can- 


BO\YLIX<;  ALLKVS  AND  POOL  ROOM 


RECREATION  ROOM 


THE  LIBRARY 


THE  ASSEMBLY  ROOM 


CHURCH  SOCIETIES  403 

non  factory,  I  live,  as  you  are  aware,  in  the  midst  of 
workingmen  and  I  take  the  greatest  interest  in  their 
welfare.  But  for  a  long  time  it  had  grieved  me  to  see 
such  a  number  of  them  given  to  drink,  living  without 
any  religion,  working  on  Sundays,  drinking  on  Mon- 
days and  totally  neglecting  the  welfare  of  their  chil- 
dren. You  might  do  a  deal  of  good  and  contribute 
much  to  the  improvement  of  their  condition  and  that 
of  their  families,  if  you  would  unite  your  efforts  to 
bring  your  companions  and  friends  to  your  Monday 
meetings."  On  hearing  this  simple  and  earnest  ap- 
peal, these  good  workingmen  recognized  a  true  friend 
of  the  people  and  a  true  Christian  who  had  their  in- 
terests at  heart. 

The  association  grew  so  rapidly  that  the  carpen- 
ter's room  soon  became  too  small  for  its  greatly  in- 
creasing numbers.  The  Redemptorist  Fathers  placed 
the  oratory  of  St.  Alphonsus,  at  Liege,  at  their  dis- 
posal; but  this  also  proved  insufficient  to  accommo- 
date the  crowds,  and  on  the  Feast  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception,  1844,  the  men  began  to  meet  in  the  spa- 
cious church  of  the  Redemptorists.  The  Bishop  gave 
his  hearty  approval  to  the  society,  erected  it  canoni- 
cally,  and  on  April  20,  1847,  obtained  the  sanction  of 
Pope  Pius  IX,  who  enriched  the  association  with 
many  indulgences  and  raised  it  to  the  dignity  of  an 
Ar  chconf  r  ater  nity .  * 

In  1866  there  were  750  affiliations  with  250,000 
members,  and  the  society  had  spread  from  Belgium 
into  Holland,  France,  Germany,  Italy,  America,  Ire- 
land, England,  and  Scotland.  It  supplied  an  urgent 
need,  and  was  a  providential  remedy  for  the  evils 
which  afflict  not  only  individuals,  but  also  the  family 
and  society. 

*By  an  archconfraternity  is  meant    a    sodality   which   is    em- 
powered to  affiliate  other  associations  of  the  same  species. 


404       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

In  our  day  especially,  the  Archconfraternity  of 
the  Holy  Family,  is  necessary  not  only  to  elevate  and 
sanctify,  but  even  to  save  the  family,  for  the  powers 
of  darkness  in  this  age  are  making  desperate  efforts 
to  destroy  the  family.  The  sacramental  character  of 
Matrimony  is  flouted  and  scouted;  its  indissolubility 
is  made  the  subject  of  coarse  buffoonery;  and  its  sa- 
cred obligations  are  cast  aside  as  thoughtlessly  as  one 
would  throw  away  an  old  garment.  According  to 
official  statistics,  there  is,  in  the  United  States,  1 
divorce  for  every  8  marriages,  and  bold  and  brazen 
divorcees  hasten  to  contract  adulterous  unions.  But 
worse  still,  Socialists  and  Bolshevists  would  abolish 
even  the  outward  form  of  marriage;  they  would  legal- 
ize open  concubinage,  and  make  the  children 
the  property  of  the  State,  to  be  educated  in 
public  asylums.  The  antidote  to  these  hellish  doc- 
trines is  the  Archconfraternity  of  the  Holy  Family, 
pointing  back  to  Nazareth,  where  sat  enthroned  the 
ideal  marital  and  family  virtues,  and  pointing  up  to 
Heaven  where  the  ideal  family  meets  its  eternal  re- 
ward. 

As  the  Archconfraternity  of  the  Holy  Family  was 
organized  primarily  for  workingmen,  we  have  a  right 
to  look  to  it  for  the  solution  of  one  of  the  most  acute 
questions  of  the  day — the  labor  problem.  It  is  a  bul- 
wark against  Socialism,  and  thus  admirably  fulfils 
a  recommendation  of  His  Holiness  Leo  XIII,  the 
Workingman's  Pope,  who  on  December  28,  1878, 
wrote: 

"Since  the  followers  of  Socialism  are  sought  more  espe- 
cially among  the  class  of  men  who  are  artisans  and  who 
work  for  hire,  and  who  wearied  with  their  toilsome  lot,  are 
more  easily  allured  by  the  hope  of  riches  and  the  promise 
of  wealth,  it  seems  fit  to  encourage  societies  of  artisans  and 
workingmen,  which  founded  under  the  guardianship  of  re- 


CHURCH  SOCIETIES  405 

ligion,  may  render  all  their  associates  content  with  their 
lot  and  patient  of  toil  and  may  induce  them  to  lead  a  quiet 
and  tranquil  life." 

Because  of  the  strained  relations  which  have  so 
long  existed  between  Capital  and  Labor,  it  has  be- 
come a  habit  of  mind  with  many  of  us  to  regard  them 
as  necessarily  antagonistic,  and,  therefore,  incapable 
of  reconciliation.  Yet  in  the  Divine  Head  of  the 
Holy  Family  they  were  beautifully  reconciled. 
Jesus  was  a  capitalist  and  he  was  a  laboring  man.  He 
was  a  capitalist,  because  He  created  and  owned  the 
earth  and  the  fulness  thereof.  He  was  a  laboring 
man,  because  for  long  years  He  worked  at  the  trade 
of  carpenter.  Joseph  also  was  of  royal  lineage;  the 
blood  of  kings  coursed  through  his  veins;  he  had  a 
title  to  the  throne  of  his  ancestors,  but  he  was  con- 
tent to  renounce  the  honors  and  the  riches  of  this 
world  and  to  live  in  lowly  poverty.  So  also,  if  the 
capitalist  of  today  would  root  out  of  his  heart  the 
grasping  and  groveling  spirit  of  a  sordid  avarice  and 
materialism;  if  the  laboring  man,  on  the  other  hand, 
would  always  be  satisfied  with  just  and  reasonable 
remuneration;  and  if  both  would  practise  that  de- 
tachment from  earthly  things,  of  which  the  Holy 
Family  presents  so  noble  a  pattern,  there  would  be 
no  i  conflict  between  Capital  and  Labor,  but  both 
would  live  in  Christian  unity  and  harmony. 

The  Archconfraternity  of  the  Holy  Family  safe- 
guards the  children  also  from  the  attacks  of  the 
devil  and  his  agents  by  providing  them  with  the 
means  of  Christian  training,  and  by  stressing  the 
idea  that  in  matters  affecting  the  education  of  the 
child,  the  Church  and  the  parents,  not  the  State,  are 
the  final  arbiters.  For  does  it  not  teach  that  the 
child  is  a  sacred  trust  committed  by  God  to  the  par- 


406       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

ents,  on  whom  devolves  the  duty  of  guiding  it  on  to 
eternal  happiness?  We  all  know  that  in  this 
country  today  a  deadly  blow  is  being  aimed  at  the 
Christian  education  of  children.  There  is  a  move- 
ment on  foot  to  abolish  the  parochial  schools,  or  at 
least,  to  paralyze  their  freedom  of  action,  and  to  take 
away  from  the  parents  the  right  to  educate  the  child 
with  a  view  to  its  eternal  interests.  This  wicked  de- 
sign is  masked  under  the  form  of  the  Smith-Towner 
bill,  which  in  ultimate  intent  and  effect  would  compel 
parents  to  send  their  children  to  public  schools,  from 
which  the  knowledge  of  God  and  of  the  saving  truths 
of  religion  would  be  excluded  by  avowed  enemies  of 
the  Church.  But  in  the  Archconfraternity  of  the 
Holy  Family,  parents  are  reminded  over  and  over 
again  that  they  dare  not  entrust  their  sacred  duty  in 
this  matter  to  any  authority  that  would  train  the  lit- 
tle ones  not  for  Heaven,  but  for  this  world  only,  and 
consequently  for  the  devil. 

The  Archconfraternity  of  the  Holy  Family  pro- 
tects the  chastity  of  our  young  men  and  young 
women  by  proposing  to  their  imitation  the  modesty 
and  purity  of  Jesus,  Mary,  and  Joseph.  In  these 
evil  days,  when  immodest  styles  of  dress,  lecherous 
books,  and  suggestive  dramas,  are  audaciously 
paraded  before  the  gaze  of  our  young  people,  whither 
shall  they  fly  to  escape  the  assaults  of  the  demon  of 
impurity,  if  not  to  the  bosom  of  the  Holy  Family, 
where  they  will  find  ready  to  hand  all  the  weapons  of 
defence  necessary  in  their  warfare  against  the  powers 
of  lust? 

He  who  reads  aright  the  signs  of  the  times  knows 
that  at  the  present  day  bitter  war  is  being  waged 
against  our  holy  Faith.  We  must  then  bear  in  mind 
and  act  up  to  the  words  of  Tertullian:  "  In  the  great 
perils  of  his  country  every  man  ought  to  be  a  soldier, 


CHURCH  SOCIETIES  407 

and  in  the  struggles  of  Holy  Faith  every  Christian 
ought  to  be  an  apostle."  The  means  to  be  such  are 
offered  in  the  Association  of  the  Holy  Family.  The 
weekly  meetings  will  refresh  in  the  memory  of  the 
members  many  truths  of  our  holy  religion,  make  them 
acquainted  little  by  little  with  the  real  history,  the 
struggles  and  the  triumphs  of  Holy  Church,  will 
warn  them  against  the  calumnies,  errors  and  loose 
doctrines  of  the  day,  and  will  make  them  find  true 
happiness  in  the  practise  of  a  truly  Christian  life. 
Helped  on  by  the  example  of  many  brethren,  they 
will  never  know  fear  or  shame ;  but,  on  the  contrary, 
deem  it  an  honor  openly  to  profess  their  belief,  and 
thus  challenge  others  to  become  practical  Christians. 
Cardinal  Manning,  in  an  address  to  a  Confraternity 
of  the  Holy  Family,  said : 

"The  Holy  Family  is  meant  for  a  training  for  every  man, 
one  by  one.  If  men  stand  together  as  you  do,  helping  and 
watching  over  one  another,  you  will  stand  like  an  army, 
solid  by  good  training,  and  the  devil  will  not  be  able  to  over- 
come any  of  you;  and  even  if  he  were  able  to  cast  any  of 
you  down,  by  the  strength  of  the  Holy  Family,  surrounding 
and  protecting  you,  such  a  man  will  soon  come  back  to  a 
sense  of  his  duty.  If  men  are  not  organized  I  am  afraid 
they  will  go  wrong,  right  and  left.  Catholic  men,  as  you 
are,  will  be  scattered,  they  will  fall  into  sin  of  one  kind  or 
another,  and  they  will  wreck  their  homes  and  families." 

On  one  occasion,  when  Pius  IX  was  at  Frosinone, 
he  met  the  men  of  the  Holy  Family  Association  as 
they  were  pouring  out  from  their  weekly  meeting  at 
the  Redemptorist  Church.  They  surrounded  His 
Holiness,  who  at  once  addressed  them,  telling  them 
among  other  things,  how  highly  he  valued  the  society 
of  which  they  were  privileged  to  be  members.  "  Such 
a  society,"  he  said,  "by  which  the  Holy  Family  so 
much  tried  on  earth  may  be  honored  and  by  whose 


408       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

honor  Christian  families  may  be  restored  —  such  a 
society  I  often  wished  for."  And  anyone  who  reads 
the  list  of  favors  granted  by  the  beloved  Pontiff  will 
see  how  much  he  had  its  prosperity  at  heart. 

Although  the  Holy  Family  Association  was  estab- 
lished in  order  to  aid  workingmen  in  the  ordinary 
meaning  of  the  term,  it  now  numbers  in  its  ranks  men 
of  every  condition  in  life,  making  them  in  a  true  sense 
brothers.  On  this  point  Cardinal  Manning,  when 
consecrating  new  members  in  London,  said: 

"I  am  glad  to  see  that  there  are  men  here  of  every  con- 
dition of  life.  If  there  are  any  men  here  who  are  more  rich, 
or  more  educated,  or  higher  in  the  world,  I  say  to  them  I 
thank  God  doubly  to  see  you  here  to-night.  You  are  as 
much  bound  to  be  a  member  of  the  Holy  Family  as  the  man 
who  works  all  day  with  his  hands.  We  are  all  equal  before 
God  ....  differences  are  only  of  earth  and  will  pass  away 
at  our  death." 

But  this  great  Cardinal  of  the  Workingman  was 
surpassed  in  his  esteem  for  the  Holy  Family  by 
another,  Cardinal  Deschamps.  His  Eminence,  in  a 
communication  addressed  to  the  members,  seemed 
for  the  moment  to  forget  all  he  had  done  for  the 
Universal  Church  and  for  Belgium  in  particular, 
when  he  wrote:  "  I  count  on  your  prayers,  men  of  the 
Holy  Family;  I  will  thank  you  by  my  own;  I  will 
ask  for  you  what  I  ask  for  myself,  perseverance  of 
the  Holy  Family,  that  we  may  die  with  the  holy 
names  of  Jesus,  Mary  and  Joseph  in  our  hearts  and 
upon  our  lips."  And  later,  when  he  felt  the  great 
weight  of  his  immense  diocese  pressing  upon  him :  "  I 
hope  that  on  the  day  of  my  death,  when  I  shall  have 
to  appear  before  God,  the  Holy  Family  will  con- 
tribute powerfully  to  lower  the  scale  of  justice  on  the 
side  of  mercy.  I  shall  say  to  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
through  Mary  and  Joseph:  'Behold,  O  Lord,  all  the 


CHURCH  SOCIETIES  409 

souls  saved  by  the  Holy  Family,  and  remember  Thou 
didst  deign  to  make  use  of  me  to  obtain  from  Thy 
Vicar  on  earth  all  that  was  necessary  for  the  founda- 
tion of  this  work,  all  that  made  it  firm,  all  that  enriched 
it  with  heavenly  treasures.'  Yes,  dear  members  of 
the  Holy  Family,  you  are  one  of  the  great  grounds 
of  my  hope."  And  then,  like  a  father,  as  indeed  he 
was,  he  exhorted  them  to  persevere  until  death  in  the 
Confraternity,  and  to  leave  to  their  children  the 
medal  of  the  Holy  Family  as  the  keepsake  and  pledge 
of  salvation.  The  Cardinal  wished  to  see  every  man 
in  the  Holy  Family.  ("Rome,"  Vol.  IV,  1908, 
pp.  90-92.) 

Such,  too,  has  always  been  the  wish  of  the  Redemp- 
torist  Fathers  of  Boston.  Therefore,  we  find  that 
just  one  year  after  the  establishment  of  the  Mission 
Church,  February  4,  1872,  the  Archconfraternity  of 
the  Holy  Family  for  men  was  organized  by  Father 
Gross.  He  took  personal  charge  of  the  society,  and 
by  his  interesting  and  practical  conferences  at  once 
infused  into  it  life  and  vigor.  On  June  1,  1873, 
Father  Petsch  founded  the  women's  division.  The 
juvenile  division  was  formed  in  1881,  with  Father 
O'Brien  as  Spiritual  Director.  During  the  course, 
of  the  years,  frequent  retreats  have  been  given  to  the 
various  branches  of  the  Holy  Family,  at  the  close  of 
which  large  numbers  have  been  received  into  the 
society;  thus  at  the  retreat  to  the  women  in  1893, 
537  new  members  were  enrolled.  The  Monthly 
Messenger  for  February,  1902,  contained  the  follow- 
ing notice: 

"We  are  happy  to  announce  that  the  Single  Men's  Divi- 
sion of  the  Holy  Family  has  been  steadily  increasing  during 

the  past  year An  excellent  spirit  is  manifested  by 

the  members.  The  attendance  at  the  meeting  last  Monday 
evening  was  the  largest  in  several  years.  There  is  also  a 
great  increase  of  late  in  the  attendance  at  the  General  Com- 


410       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

munion  of  the  single  men  on  the  fourth  Sunday.  This  is  the 
most  palpable  proof  that  the  spirit  of  God  is  busy  among 
them." 

At  the  present  time,  the  Single  Women's  Branch, 
which  numbers  2,308  members,  is  the  most  flourish- 
ing. It  is  divided  into  80  sections,  each  varying  in 
membership  from  twenty  to  fifty.  Each  section  is 
presided  over  by  a  prefect  aided  by  a  sub-prefect.  In 
a  book  containing  the  names  and  the  addresses  of 
all  the  members  of  each  section,  the  presence  of  each 
individual  is  noted  by  the  prefect  of  the  respec- 
tive section.  Cards  are  then  sent  to  the  absentees, 
gently  reminding  them  of  their  duty  to  attend  the 
conferences  and  to  take  part  in  the  General  Com- 
munion. The  result  is  that  very  few  stay  away  with- 
out a  weighty  reason. 

The  days  and  hours  of  conference  for  the  different 
divisions  are  as  follows : 

Married  Men     .      Every  Tuesday,  at  8 :00  P.  M. 

Single  Men,  .      .      First  Monday  of  every  month,  at  7:45 

P.M. 
Married  Women     Second  Sunday  of  every  month,  at  4:00 

P.M. 
Single  Women    .      First  Sunday  of  every  month,  at  3:45 

P.M. 
Boys        .      .      .      Second    and    fourth    Sundays    of   every 

month,  at  2 :30  P.  M. 
Girls        .      .      .      First  and  third  Sundays  of  every  month, 

at  2:30  P.M. 

The  conference  for  the  single  women,  because  of 
their  great  numbers,  is  held  in  the  upper  church.  The 
others,  in  St.  Gerard's  Chapel. 

That  the  Archconfraternity  of  the  Holy  Family 
may  everywhere  continue  to  be  what  a  German 
Protestant  historian  of  the  modern  Netherlands  once 


CHURCH  SOCIETIES  411 

called  it,  "  the  most  powerful  bulwark  of  Catholics  " 
is  the  ardent  wish  and  daily  prayer  of  the  Fathers. 
May  its  blessed  influence  penetrate  every  nook  and 
corner  of  the  Mission  Church  Parish,  and  may  its 
saving  grace  bring  all  our  people  at  last  to  the  feet 
of  Jesus,  Mary,  and  Joseph  in  the  kingdom  of  the 
blessed! 


The  League  of  the  Sacred  Heart. 

The  League  of  the  Sacred  Heart  has  been  estab- 
lished in  the  parish  nearly  thirty  years.    On  July  2, 
1892,   the   Diploma   of  Aggregation   was  received 
whereby  the  Mission  Church  was  constituted  a  Local 
Centre.    The  League  succeeded  the  Confraternity  of 
the  Sacred  Heart,  which  was  organized  in  June,  1878, 
and  counted  1,700  members  at  its  disbandment,  four- 
teen years  later.     Father  Frawley,  seeing  the  con- 
stantly increasing  devotion  to  the  Sacred  Heart  of 
Jesus,  as  manifested  each  succeeding  month  by  the 
immense  number  of  Communions  on  the  first  Friday, 
resolved  to  have  the  League  canonically  erected  in 
the   church.     The   result  towered   above   the  most 
enthusiastic  calculations.     On  the  first  Friday  of 
August,  1892,  the  number  of  Communions  was  with- 
out parallel  or  precedent.    For  two  consecutive  Sun- 
days, the  Rev.  Henry  Gareis,  C.  SS.  R.,  the  Director 
of  the  League,  explained  to  a  crowded  church  its 
aim  and  purpose.    At  the  very  outset,  it  had  2,300 
members  and  100  promoters.     Today  the  League 
totals  4,683.     The  Promoters  meet  in  St.  Gerard's 
Chapel  on  the  fourth  Wednesday  of  every  month,  at 
8 :00  P.  M.  On  the  First  Friday  of  every  month,  the 
Blessed   Sacrament  is  exposed  all  day  from   5:30 
A.  M.  to  8:30  P.  M. 


412       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


The  Altar  Society. 

The  Altar  Society  was  established  by  the  Rev. 
Father  Gross,  August  6,  1871.  The  following  rules 
were  adopted: 

1.  A  meeting  of  the  members  shall  be  held  on  the  second 
Sunday  of  every  month. 

2.  A  High  Mass  shall  be  sung  on  the  second  Monday  of 
every  month  for  the  living  and  deceased  members. 

3.  A  Requiem  High  Mass  shall  be  celebrated  for  every 
member  at  death  and  the  living  members  shall  offer  Holy 
Communion  and  pray  for  the  repose  of  her  soul. 

Within  a  year  after  its  inauguration  there  were 
1,100  members,  and  at  the  end  of  1873,  1,570.  At 
present  practically  every  member  of  both  branches 
of  the  Women's  Holy  Family  Association  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Altar  Society,  so  that  the  two  have 
become  identified. 


The  Church  Debt  Society. 

The  Church  Debt  Society  was  organized  December 
3,  1871,  by  Father  Gross.  On  that  day,  at  his  direc- 
tion, the  Rev.  Michael  Mueller,  C.  SS.  R.,  preached 
an  appropriate  sermon  showing  the  spiritual  advan- 
tages to  be  gained  by  those  who  would  join  it: 

1.  Holy  Mass  would  be  said  every  Sunday  at  7  A.  M., 
for  the  living  and  the  deceased  members. 

2.  A  special  memento  for  all  the  members  would  be  made 
at  every  Mass  celebrated  by  the  Fathers  of  the  church. 

The  membership  at  present  is  2,100.  The  parish  is 
divided  into  77  districts,  each  of  which  is  canvassed 


CHURCH  SOCIETIES  413 

every  month  by  a  duly  accredited  collector.  The 
monthly  assessment  is  25  cents.  A  meeting  of  the 
collectors  is  held  on  the  second  Sunday  of  every 
month  in  the  office  of  the  rectory. 

To  both  the  collectors  and  the  members,  who  have 
done  so  much  for  the  church,  heartfelt  thanks  are 
due.  May  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  bless  and 
reward  them! 


The  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society. 

The  Conference  of  the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society 
was  organized  in  1876,  with  a  membership  of  25  men 
prominent  in  the  district,  among  whom  were  doctors, 
lawyers,  and  men  of  large  business  affairs.  In  1879, 
it  was  reorganized  and  Colonel  P.  T.  Hanley  was 
elected  President.  The  latter  conference  continues 
in  existence  to  this  day.  At  first  the  members 
assembled  in  the  room  above  the  sacristy,  but,  in  1884, 
at  the  suggestion  of  Father  Henning,  the  meetings 
began  to  be  held  in  the  old  rectory.  The  funds  of 
the  society  were  raised  from  collections  in  the  church, 
from  annual  picnics,  from  donations,  and  from 
bequests. 

Till  1915,  the  Conference  of  Our  Lady  of  Per- 
petual Help  was  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Metro- 
politan Council  of  New  York,  but  in  that  year  it 
became  subject  to  the  Metropolitan  Council  then 
established  in  Boston. 

Mr.  Eugene  J.  Farley  is  now  in  charge  of  the  Con- 
ference. Of  the  six  former  presidents,  only  one,  Mr. 
John  Reardon,  is  living. 

The  Conference  has  been  activly  engaged  in  all 
kinds  of  charitable  work.  It  has  not  only  provided 
for  the  "worthy  poor"  of  the  district,  but  has  also 


414       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

taken  a  lively  interest  in  outside  enterprises  of  wider 
scope.  At  the  time  of  the  earthquake  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, it  sent  generous  donations  to  the  Conference 
there,  and  also  to  that  at  Halifax,  after  the  disaster 
that  visited  that  city.  During  the  epidemic  of 
influenza  in  1918,  it  did  a  vast  amount  of  good  for 
the  poor  of  our  own  district. 

The  present  list  of  "  worthy  poor  "  embraces  fifty 
families,  with  an  average  of  five  members,  who  every 
week  are  provided  with  provisions,  and  in  the  winter 
with  fuel,  clothing,  and  shoes  also.  The  Conference 
pays  special  attention  to  furnishing  suitable  raiment 
for  children  who  are  about  to  receive  their  First  Com- 
munion or  to  be  confirmed.  About  250  pair  of  shoes 
and  550  pieces  of  clothing  are  distributed  annually. 
According  to  the  official  report  of  the  Metropolitan 
Council  of  Boston,  for  the  year  ending  September 
30,  1912  (pp.  35  and  40),  the  Conference  of  Our 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  was  first  in  the  number  of 
visits  made  (2,024),  and  in  the  amount  disbursed 
($2,915).  The  following  year,  it  again  headed  the 
list  in  the  same  two  points:  number  of  visits  made, 
(1,909) ;  funds  distributed  ($2,630)  (pp.  37  and  43). 
For  the  year  ending  September  30,  1914,  it  was  again 
first  in  the  amount  expended  ($2,445)  (p.  41). 

The  Conference  is  at  present  composed  of  the 
following  members : 

John  Burns  Alexander  O'Handley 

Eugene  J.  Farley  A.  A.  Tapp 

W.  T.  Phipps  M.  J.  Dolan 

Peter  Kelly  Raymond  A.  Bacon 

John  Sullivan  Michael  Coughlin 


CHURCH  SOCIETIES  415 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith; 

The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  dates 
back  to  November  12,  1899.  On  that  day,  the  Rev. 
Joseph  Treacy,  D.D.,  General  Director,  preached 
at  all  the  Masses,  explaining  the  aims,  obligations, 
and  benefits  of  the  organization.  At  once  134  pro- 
moters were  enrolled.  The  Rev.  Thomas  Donohue, 
C.  SS.R.,  was  appointed  Local  Director,  and  by  the 
end  of  the  year  there  were  1,300  members.  At  present 
the  Society  counts  4,122  members,  including  160 
promoters.  The  great  increase  in  numbers  has  made 
it  necessary  for  the  promoters  to  meet  bi-monthly; 
the  place  of  assemblage  is  St.  Gerard's  Chapel;  the 
time,  Monday  evening  at  8 :00  P.  M.  The  Society  in 
the  Mission  Church  has  always  made  a  creditable 
showing;  the  returns  for  1918  were  $4,570.26  (fifth 
highest),  and  for  1919,  $7,080.41  (third  highest). 

May  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  instill  into  the 
hearts  of  the  people  of  the  parish  an  ever-growing 
love  for  those  benighted  souls  who  are  groping  in  the 
darkness  of  paganism  and  infidelity,  and  may  She 
stimulate  and  energize  the  fine  spirit  of  faith  which 
lias  animated  the  zealous  promoters  and  the  generous 
contributors ! 


PILATE'S  DAUGHTER 

It  is  a  source  of  great  pleasure  to  treat  of  a  parish 
activity  quite  peculiar  to  the  Mission  Church  —  the 
annual  reproduction  of  Pilate's  Daughter.  It  must 
be  counted  as  one  of  "  The  Glories  of  Mary  in  Bos- 
ton," that  this  drama,  dedicated  to  Her  and  performed 
under  her  patronage  within  the  shadow  of  her 
Shrine,  every  Lent  for  the  past  eighteen  years,  has 
brought  through  her  intercession,  numberless  souls  to 
the  Sacred  Heart  of  her  Divine  Son. 

Pilate's  Daughter  is  such  a  unique  contribution  to 
dramatic  art  that  a  brief  page  of  its  early  history  will 
surely  be  of  absorbing  interest.  It  was  written  by 
the  Rev.  F.  L.  Kenzel,  C.SS.R.,  in  1901,  for  the 
single  women  of  the  Archconfraternity  of  the  Holy 
Family  at  their  own  urgent  request.  The  author  was 
greatly  encouraged  in  his  task  by  the  extraordinary 
talent  he  had  discovered  among  the  young  ladies  dur- 
ing the  performance  of  a  play  that  he  had  arranged 
for  them,  entitled  "  The  Promise." 

He  felt  that  such  unusual  ability  could  not  be  bet- 
ter employed  than  in  a  great  spiritual  effort  to  make 
God  better  known,  by  means  of  a  sacred  drama  in 
which  the  loving  kindness  and  mercy  of  Our  Divine 
Lord  would  be  revealed  in  vivid  representation  and 
pathetic  narrative.  While  he  was  seeking  material  to 
the  purpose,  the  play  "Pontia"  by  Rev.  F.  Felix, 
O.  S.  B.,  came  to  his  notice.  Finding  in  this  drama 
the  incident  of  a  rose  offered  to  Christ  in  testimony  of 
affection,  Father  Kenzel  conceived  the  idea  of  writing 
a  miracle  play  in  which  a  rose  that  had  touched  the 


PILATE'S  DAUGHTER  417 

robe  of  Christ,  would  become  the  medium  of  His 
miraculous  power,  and  would  also  give  occasion  for 
the  tender  pathetic  story  of  His  Passion  and  Death. 
The  text  was  soon  completed  and  a  meeting  of  the 
prospective  players  called.  All  who  had  taken  part 
in  "The  Promise"  attended,  besides  many  other 
young  ladies  of  the  parish.  The  play  was  read  to 
them  by  Father  Kenzel  and  met  with  enthusiastic 
applause.  The  rules  which  were  to  govern  the  per- 
formers were  then  explained.  No  one  could  be 
admitted  to  the  cast  who  was  not  actuated  purely  by 
the  desire  to  bring  souls  nearer  to  God.  There  was 
to  be  no  place  for  personal  ambition,  and,  hence,  each 
player  was  obliged  to  declare  her  perfect  willingness 
to  take  the  most  humble  and  unimportant  part  if 
assigned  to  her.  Any  discussion  or  uncharitable 
criticism  of  one  another,  any  failure  to  grasp  the 
religious  tenor  of  the  work,  should  entail  dismissal. 
Every  correction  was  to  be  received  with  the  most 
ready  submission;  for  the  play  was  to  take  on  the 
character  of  a  devotional  exercise  rather  than  of  a 
dramatic  entertainment.  It  was  to  be  in  deed  and 
truth  a  serious  and  touching  sermon,  which  was  to  be 
studied  and  delivered  in  a  devout  and  prayerful 
spirit;  hence,  all  participants  were  required  to 
approach  Holy  Communion  frequently,  to  recite  the 
Rosary,  and  to  make  a  visit  to  the  Shrine  before  each 
rehearsal  and  performance.  Scrupulous  compliance 
with  all  these  demands  insured  only  such  performers 
as  were  deeply  imbued  with  the  sacred  character  of 
the  effort  and  actuated  by  the  highest  spiritual 
motives. 

The  large  cast  was  selected  by  Father  Kenzel  and 
the  coaching  entrusted  to  a  devout  Catholic  pro- 
fessional actor  of  middle  age,  who  was  guided  in  his 
interpretation  of  the  text  by  the  author  himself. 


418       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

While  the  rehearsals  were  in  progress,  special  scenery 
was  designed  and  painted  by  the  scenic  artist  of  one 
of  the  large  theatres  in  Boston.  The  costumes  were 
made  with  historical  accuracy  by  a  number  of 
efficient  dressmakers  of  the  parish,  who  cheerfully 
gave  their  services  gratis  for  the  good  cause.  The 
many  and  difficult  electrical  effects  were  furnished 
by  competent  electricians,  while  the  stage  equipment 
was  given  to  a  corps  of  young  men  of  the  parish, 
whose  task  was  to  assemble  the  numerous  properties 
of  the  play.  The  "Angry  Mob"  was  selected  from 
the  Married  Men's  Branch  of  the  Holy  Family,  and 
carefully  trained  by  Father  Kenzel.  Incidental 
music  and  appropriate  hymns  were  written  by  a  noted 
composer  of  the  city. 

The  fifty  ladies  of  the  cast  and  the  equally  large 
number  of  men  who  assisted  in  the  production,  all 
labored  hard  and  faithfully  without  remuneration 
for  weeks,  and  in  such  a  spirit  of  harmony  and 
enthusiasm  as  to  render  it  a  pleasure  rather  than  a 
task  for  Father  Kenzel  to  superintend  the  work.  He 
has  always  looked  back  on  that  busy  period  of  prep- 
aration with  sincere  gratitude  for  the  noble  and  self- 
sacrificing  labor  of  his  willing  and  earnest  assistants. 
The  difficulties  were,  of  course,  immense;  and  there 
were  occasional  moments  of  misgiving  and  of  grave 
apprehension  as  to  the  ultimate  success  of  the  under- 
taking; for  the  production  was  by  far  the  most  pre- 
tentious that  had  ever  been  attempted  in  the  parish. 
The  expenses,  too,  were  enormous,  and  no  one  was 
overconfident  that  the  four  evening  performances  and 
the  two  matinees  which  had  been  planned,  would 
cover  the  expenditure.  However,  Father  Rector 
Frawley,  with  his  characteristically  keen  vision, 
never  wavered  in  his  conviction  that  the  play  would 
receive  instant  and  universal  recognition.  He  bade 


XE\V  HIGH  ALTAR 
Erected  in  180,6 


SHRINE  OF  OUR  LADY  OF  PERPETUAL  HELI> 


ST.  ALPHONSUS'  HALL  ON  SMITH  STREET 
Erected  in  IQOO 

(The  following  are  some  of  the  views  in  the  Hall) 


THE  THEATUE 


PILATE'S  DAUGHTER  419 

no  expense  to  be  spared,  for  he  felt  certain  that  the 
compelling  force  of  its  lesson  would  make  the  play  a 
spiritual  awakening  for  thousands.  In  order  to  ex- 
tend its  influence,  he  limited  the  price  of  the  best  seats 
to  35  cents;  a  price  which  continued  for  some  years, 
till  the  audience  became  too  large  to  be  accommo- 
dated. 

The  events  of  the  first  night  will  never  be  forgotten 
by  those  who  took  part.    The  picture  of  Our  Lady  of 
Perpetual  Help  was  placed  in  all  the  dressing-rooms. 
Her  medal  was  attached  to  the  switchboard  and  to 
the  various  electrical  machines.    Her  assistance  was 
earnestly  and  constantly  invoked  by  all,  for  they 
knew  that  it  was  to  be  her  play.    Before  the  curtain 
rose,  every  one  engaged  in  the  performance  knelt  for 
the  priest's  blessing,  and  the  stage  and  the  properties 
were  sprinkled  with  holy  water.    Owing  to  the  sacred 
character    of    the    production,    the    audience    was 
requested  to  abstain  from  every  species  of  applause. 
After  the  first  act,  a  large  basket  of  beautiful  flowers 
was  presented  to  the  cast  by  the  ushers;  and  the 
appeal  for  applause  was  so  completely  forgotten,  that 
it  was  feared  the  wild  enthusiasm  of  the  audience 
would  utterly  ruin  the  solemn  effect  of  what  was  to 
follow.    This,  however,  was  not  the  case.  The  players, 
encouraged  by  this  spontaneous  outburst  of  appreci- 
ation, were  more  deeply  impressed  with  the  responsi- 
bility of  delivering  their  holy  message,  and  the  play 
ended  with  the  audience  deeply  moved,  reverent  and 
thoughtful.     They  left  the  hall  as  a  congregation 
leaves    the    church    after    Benediction.      "Pilate's 
Daughter"  had  been  launched  on  its  career  which 
has  proved  marvelous  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  term. 
The  box-office  was  besieged  till  midnight  for  tickets. 
The  press  notices  next  day  were  lengthy  and  most 
flattering.    Several  newspapers  devoted  a  whole  page 


420       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

to  a  synopsis  of  the  play,  with  photographs  of  the 
scenes  and  the  players  in  the  next  Sunday  edition. 
The  advertising  agency  connected  with  the  Elevated 
Road  offered  free  advertising  space  in  the  cars  and 
at  the  various  stations.  But  the  audience  proved  the 
best  advertising  medium.  They  had  been  strongly 
and  strangely  moved,  and  they  desired  everyone  else 
to  have  a  similar  experience. 

Within  twenty-four  hours,  every  seat  had  been 
sold  for  the  remaining  performances ;  and  the  demand 
was  so  great  that  at  once  arrangements  were  made 
for  four  extra  evening  performances  and  two  more 
matinees.  The  tickets  for  these  were  sold  immedi- 
ately ;  even  then  hundreds  had  to  be  turned  away,  and 
were  satisfied  only  when  assured  that  another  series 
of  performances  would  be  given  during  the  follow- 
ing Lent.  The  promise  was  kept,  and  sixteen  or 
eighteen  performances  were  given.  Later  on,  the 
number  was  increased  each  Lent  to  twenty-five  and 
sometimes  more.  On  the  occasion  of  the  hundredth 
rendition,  the  Rev.  Father  Rector  Hayes  presented 
a  small  gold  rose  to  all  the  players  who  had  not  missed 
a  single  performance.  The  popularity  of  the  play 
has  never  been  confined  to  Catholics.  Even  from  the 
beginning  many  non-Catholics  mingled  with  our 
people  in  the  audiences,  and  the  attendance  of  large 
Bible  classes  and  Protestant  societies  in  a  body  was 
not  infrequent. 

In  seeking  a  reason  for  the  phenomenal  success  of 
the  play  in  Boston,  we  are  forced  to  demand  some- 
thing more  than  the  beauty  of  the  text  or  the  strength 
of  the  incidents;  something  more  than  the  superb 
scenery,  the  wonderful  lighting  effects  and  the 
gorgeous  costumes;  something  more,  even,  than  the 
deep  sincerity  of  the  players  and  the  dramatic  charm 
of  their  action  and  delivery.  All  this  we  witness  in 


PILATE'S  DAUGHTER  421 

many  other  spiritual  and  biblical  performances  that 
are  lamentable  failures  with  the  general  public.  It 
is  simply  the  unseen,  the  supernatural  element  that 
makes  "Pilate's  Daughter"  a  success.  It  is  the 
earnest  prayers  and  the  frequent  Holy  Communions 
of  those  who  take  part.  It  is  the  responsive  piety 
and  devotion  of  audiences  that  seek  elevation  of  soul 
in  spiritual  things ;  and  it  is,  above  all,  the  wonderful 
assistance  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  who  dis- 
penses to  both  performers  and  audiences  the  sweet 
graces  of  her  Divine  Son,  as  is  evinced  by  the  numer- 
ous conversions  of  Catholics  and  non-Catholics  that 
have  marked  the  progress  of  the  play  ever  since  its 
first  performance. 


SYNOPSIS  OF  PILATE'S  DAUGHTER. 


Act  1 

Pilate's  daughter  Claudia,  a  little  girl  of  ten  years,  casts 
a  rose  over  the  balcony  of  her  father's  palace,  as  Christ 
goes  forth  condemned  to  death.  The  flower  touches  the  robe 
of  the  Master  and  thenceforth  not  only  does  not  fade,  but 
is  endowed  with  most  marvelous  power.  The  dream  of 
Pilate's  wife,  spoken  of  in  St.  Matthew,  27:19.  Her  message 
to  Pilate.  Rebecca,  whose  lover,  the  youth  of  Nairn,  has 
been  restored  to  life  by  Christ,  loves  the  Nazarene,  and 
believes  in  Him.  Leah,  whose  father,  a  money  changer,  has 
been  struck  by  the  Saviour,  swears  vengeance  on  Christ, 
aids  Judas  in  betraying  Him,  and  is  punished  with  the  loss 
of  reason.  Pilate's  household  views  the  Crucifixion  from 
the  palace — Mysterious  darkness — "He  dies,  the  devils  tell 
me  so." 

Act  2 

Ten  years  later,  Christian  women  led  by  Claudia  and 
Rebecca  meet  at  midnight  in  a  woods  on  the  Alban  Hills 
to  bury  a  child.  Claudia  reveals  herself  and  restores  the 


422       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

child  by  laying  the  rose  on  its  breast.  The  Christians  are 
captured  and  lodged  in  the  Mamertine  prison.  Leah  plans 
Claudia's  death,  but  is  foiled  by  the  miraculous  power  of 
the  rose. — "It  palsies  every  sinew  of  my  hand." 


Act  3 

Preparation  for  the  Feast  of  Vesta.  Rubia,  a  Vestal  Vir- 
gin, loses  faith  in  the  gods  and  goddesses  of  Rome  and  dis- 
covers that  Claudia,  her  friend  in  childhood,  now  a  Chris- 
tian, is  about  to  suffer  martyrdom.  She  determines  to  save 
her.  The  Vestals  dispute.  The  fire  of  the  goddess  expires, 
on  which  account  great  calamities  are  supposed  to  threaten 
Rome.  Afra's  prophecy. 

"Woe,  Woe,  to  thee,  O  Rome !  this  crime  appals, 
And  gloomy  vultures  settle  on  thy  walls, 
The  fire  of  Vesta  sleeps, 
And  in  the  shadows  all  thy  greatness  falls." 

Act  4 

Pilate's  daughter  and  her  friends  in  the  Mamertine  prison. 
Nemis,  through  love  for  her  aged  -  father,  wavers  in  her 
faith,  but  is  encouraged  by  Claudia,  who,  by  a  touch  of  the 
rose,  causes  a  spring  of  water  to  flow  from  the  rocky  wall  of 
the  prison  cell.  Rubia  and  Claudia  meet  again.  Leah  views 
the  Christians  through  the  bars.  "Like  rats  and  moles,  ye 
huddle  there  together."  Rubia's  conversion  to  the  faith  by 
the  sudden  appearance  of  a  luminous  cross.  "I  am  a  Chris- 
tian." 

Act  5 

Jupiter's  Feast,  the  Empress  Agrippina  presiding.  "All 
hail  to  Jupiter."  The  festal  dance.  The  Empress  sacri- 
fices. Rubia's  absence  discovered.  Servia's  counsel.  Afra 
produces  Pilate's  daughter  and  the  Christians.  Leah  re- 
stored to  reason  by  the  rose.  Conversions  in  the  court. 
Rage  of  the  Empress.  The  last  proof — "If  Jupiter  be  God, 
the  rose  shall  fade;  if  Christ  be  God,  let  Jupiter  perish." 
The  statue  crumbles.  The  sacred  wine.  "There's  murder 
in  the  goblet."  Claudia's  martyrdom.  Grand  finale.  Claudia 
in  glory. 


THE  ST.  ALPHONSUS  ASSOCIATION 

The  St.  Alphonsus  Association  was  founded 
March  1,  1900,  by  the  Rev.  Father  Frawley.  It 
superseded  the  Young  Men's  Mission  Church  Associ- 
ation, which  had  been  established  about  ten  years 
previously. 

Father  Frawley,  to  whom  the  young  men  had 
always  been  specially  dear,  was  forcibly  impressed 
by  the  following  significant  pronouncement  and 
recommendation  of  the  Third  Plenary  Council  of 
Baltimore: 

"We  likewise  consider  as  worthy  of  particular  encourage- 
ment associations  for  the  promotion  of  healthful  social 
union  among  Catholics,  and  especially  those  whose  aim  is 
to  guard  our  Catholic  young  men  against  dangerous  in- 
fluences, and  to  supply  them  with  the  means  of  innocent 
amusement  and  mental  culture.  It  is  obvious  that  our  young 
men  are  exposed  to  the  greatest  dangers,  and,  therefore, 
need  the  most  abundant  help.  Hence,  in  the  spirit  of  our 
Holy  Father,  Leo  XIII,  we  desire  the  number  of  thoroughly 
Catholic  and  well-organized  associations  for  their  benefit 
greatly  increased,  especially  in  our  large  cities.  We  exhort 
pastors  to  consider  the  formation  and  careful  direction  of 
such  societies  as  one  of  their  most  important  duties." 

Within  a  few  months  after  his  induction  as  Rector, 
Father  Frawley  took  the  first  steps  towards  the 
organization  of  such  a  society  as  the  Third  Plenary 
Council  had  in  mind.  At  the  beginning  of  February, 
1891,  he  issued  a  prospectus  which  stated  that  the 
object  of  the  association  he  designed  to  establish  was 


424       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

"to  provide  every  kind  of  innocent  amusement  and 
recreation  that  circumstances  will  permit,  as  well  as 
to  offer  every  means  for  intellectual  improvement 
and  general  culture." 

On  February  9  and  10,  an  entertainment  was  given 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Young  Men's  Holy  Family 
Association,  with  the  avowed  object  of  bringing  the 
young  men  of  the  parish  into  closer  social  touch  and 
thus  promoting  the  fraternal  spirit.  A  few  days 
later,  February  14,  a  meeting  was  called,  at  which  an 
agreement  to  form  a  social  organization  was  speedily 
reached  and  a  committee  appointed  to  draw  up  con- 
stitution and  by-laws.  At  the  next  meeting  of  the 
young  men,  held  about  the  middle  of  April,  said  con- 
stitution and  by-laws  were  unanimously  adopted  and 
a  motion  made  to  proceed  to  the  election  of  officers. 
The  formal  establishment  of  the  society  was  effected, 
April  26,  the  octave  day  of  the  Feast  of  the  Patron- 
age of  St.  Joseph,  who  had  been  chosen  patron  of  the 
Association.  A  Solemn  Mass  marked  the  event. 

The  constitution  called  for  a  Reverend  President, 
in  the  person  of  the  Reverend  Rector  of  the  Mission 
Church,  or  the  Spiritual  Director  of  the  Young 
Men's  Holy  Family  Association,  the  latter  to  act  in 
the  name  and  by  the  authority  of  the  Reverend  Rec- 
tor; a  President,  Vice-President,  Recording  Secre- 
tary, Financial  Secretary,  Treasurer,  Librarian, 
Sergeant-at-Arms  and  nine  directors,  six  of  whom 
were  to  be  elected  by  the  members  and  three  to  be 
appointed  by  the  Reverend  President.  According  to 
the  terms  of  the  constitution,  the  object  of  the 
Association  was  to  unite  the  young  men  of  the 
Mission  Church  parish,  as  well  as  other  Catholic 
young  men,  to  keep  them  from  evil  influences  by  pro- 
viding them  with  innocent  recreation,  to  improve 
them  physically  and  intellectually,  to  interest  them 


THE  ST.  ALPHONSUS  ASSOCIATION        425 

in  the  lay  work  of  the  church  and  the  parish,  and  to 
serve  as  a  bond  for  the  preservation  of  faith  and 
morals.  The  constitution  required  every  member  to 
be  a  strict  Catholic,  and  at  the  same  time,  an  active 
member  of  the  Archconfraternity  of  the  Holy 
Family,  or  of  some  other  Confraternity,  Sodality  or 
Conference  established  for  the  promotion  of  piety  or 
good  works.  The  Reverend  President  had  the  power 
to  veto  any  act  of  the  Association  or  of  any  depart- 
ment thereof;  and  to  call  or  adjourn  a  meeting  or 
preside  thereat,  as  circumstances  might  require.  The 
first  officers  were:  the  Rev.  President,  Father  Fraw- 
ley ;  Spiritual  Director,  the  Rev.  Alexander  Klauder, 
C.SS.R.;  President,  Michael  W.  Costello;  Vice- 
President,  Mark  B.  Mulvey;  Recording  Secretary, 
John  Keenan;  Financial  Secretary,  Mark  Flanagan; 
Treasurer,  James  Muldowney;  Librarian,  Patrick 
McLoughlin;  Sergeant-at-arms,  Thomas  Desmond; 
Directors  by  election,  Neil  Tracey,  John  J.  Kelly, 
James  McLoughlin,  George  Cunningham,  William 
Dowling,  Joseph  Judge;  Directors  by  appointment, 
Mark  B.  Mulvey,  Charles  Corbett,  and  Edward 
McHugh. 

In  the  matter  of  accommodations,  the  Association 
had,  indeed,  a  humble  beginning.  Its  headquarters 
were  in  the  school  building;  at  first,  only  one  room, 
with  a  piano;  later  on,  three  rooms,  one  of  which 
served  as  a  gymnasium,  were  set  aside  for  its  pur- 
poses. Nevertheless,  as  time  advanced,  the  member- 
ship steadily  increased,  the  activities  of  the  Associ- 
ation constantly  multiplied  and  widened,  and  in  the 
promotion  of  the  interests  of  the  parish,  it  began  to 
exert  a  mighty  influence. 

Father  Frawley,  who  was  a  man  of  large  and  bold 
ideas,  quickly  grasped  the  situation,  and  resolved  to 
enlarge  the  scope  of  the  Association,  to  perfect  its 


426       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

organization,  and  to  build  for  it  a  magnificent  hall, 
which  should  be  the  last  word,  so  to  say,  in  young 
men's  parochial  clubs.  The  result  was  that  the 
Young  Men's  Mission  Church  Association  became 
the  St.  Alphonsus  Association,  with  headquarters  in 
St.  Alphonsus'  Hall,  elsewhere  described. 

In  substance  and  in  general  trend,  the  constitution 
and  by-laws  of  the  old  organization  were  retained, 
yet,  of  course,  some  changes  and  additions  had  to  be 
made  to  meet  the  growth  and  development  of  the 
Association.  According  to  the  present-day  rules,  the 
Board  of  Directors  consists  of  15  members,  of  whom 
seven  are  appointed  by  the  Reverend  President  and  8 
elected  by  the  Association;  the  Board  of  Directors 
choose  annually  from  among  their  number,  by  a 
majority  vote,  a  President,  Vice-President,  Secre- 
tary, and  Treasurer;  as  the  Spiritual  Director  has  a 
vote,  making  in  all  16,  nine  votes  constitute  a 
majority;  the  term  of  office  is  one  year;  the  day  of 
election,  Low  Sunday ;  at  least  four  general  meetings 
of  the  Association  are  held  each  year,  while  the  Board 
of  Directors  meets,  usually,  every  Thursday  evening ; 
a  general  Communion  followed  by  breakfast  at  the 
rooms  of  the  Association,  takes  place  on  Low 
Sunday. 

Membership  is  open  to  all  Catholic  young  men  over 
18  years  of  age.  The  dues  are  $5.00  a  year,  payable 
semi-annually;  the  initiation  fee  is  $1.00.  The  present 
membership  is  about  600. 

There  are  seven  departments:  athletics,  aquatics, 
card  games,  bowling,  billiards  and  pool,  dramatics, 
and  music;  each  of  which  is  administered  by  a  com- 
mittee and  represented  on  the  Board  of  Directors. 
The  Association  conducts  lectures,  ladies'  nights, 
whist  parties,  bowling  and  pool  tournaments  (for 
members),  an  excellent  dramatic  club,  the  leading 


THE  ST.  ALPHONSUS  ASSOCIATION        427 

10-mile  road  race  of  New  England,  and  the  following 
teams:  football,  basket-ball,  track,  and  shell-racing. 

The  Association  brings  together  in  congenial  com- 
panionship those  who  wish  to  perfect  themselves  in 
various  lines  of  endeavor ;  it  may,  therefore,  be  called 
an  educational  institute  which,  as  far  as  circumstances 
allow,  aims  at  developing  the  whole  man.  The  in- 
tellectual, the  physical,  and  the  social  welfare  of  the 
members  all  receive  due  attention.  The  intellect  is 
developed  by  the  lectures  given  bi-monthly  and  by 
informal  talks  with  professional  men  who  belong  to 
the  Association:  doctors,  lawyers,  teachers,  and 
musicians.  The  physical  advantages  center  in  the 
gymnasium,  and  in  the  boating,  bowling,  and  running 
contests.  The  social  inducements  are  found  in  fre- 
quent entertainments,  receptions  to  ladies,  whist  par- 
ties, card  games,  pool  and  billiard  games,  in  the 
orchestra,  and  in  the  mandolin  and  glee  clubs. 

An  example  of  the  intellectual  appeal  which  the 
Association  makes  to  its  members,  is  afforded 
by  a  course  of  lectures  delivered  in  the  hall 
by  Thos.  A.  Mullen,  Esq.,  beginning  Thursday, 
November  22,  1900.  The  general  subject  of  the  lec- 
tures was  "The  Outlines  of  the  Constitutional  and 
Political  History  of  the  United  States,  from  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Government  to  the  Civil  War." 
Among  the  points  which  the  broad  theme  embraced 
were: 

"The  New:  Government"  (Monday,  December  3). 

"Political  Development  from  1801-1829"  (Monday, 
December  10). 

"Slavery  Questions"     (Thursday,  December  13). 

"Slavery  in  the  Territories  "    (Thursday,  December  20). 

"The  Causes  of  the  Civil  War"  (Thursday,  December 
27). 


428       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Between  September  1, 1900,  and  February  1, 1901, 
about  200  new  members  were  enrolled. 

The  Dramatic  Class  presented,  January  8,  1901, 
the  drama,  "Honor  Vindicated,"  which,  in  the 
opinion  of  some  competent  critics,  was  the  best 
amateur  play  produced  up  to  that  time  in  Boston. 
Owing  to  the  immense  crowds  that  flocked  to  the  hall, 
the  sale  of  tickets  had  to  be  stopped. 

The  first  anniversary  of  the  opening  of  St.  Alphon- 
sus'  Hall  was  appropriately  observed,  with  Mayor 
Hart  as  the  guest  of  the  evening.  His  Honor  made 
an  interesting  speech,  in  the  course  of  which  he  said 
that  when  he  arrived  at  the  hall,  he  knew  nothing 
about  the  Association,  its  headquarters,  or  the  work 
it  was  doing.  He  was  as  much  astonished  as  Thomas 
Jefferson  would  have  been  had  he  gone  to  Washing- 
ton that  day  and  witnessed  the  magnificent  cere- 
monies that  marked  the  inauguration  of  President 
McKinley.  The  hall  was  an  honor  and  credit  to  all, 
and  he  congratulated  the  young  men  on  their  efforts. 
To  erect  such  a  hall  should  be  the  crowning  aim  of 
every  religious  organization,  whether  Protestant  or 
Catholic.  He  was  glad  to  be  present,  and  he  would 
tell  other  churches  of  the  work  being  done  here. 

In  June,  1901,  the  Association  conducted  a  two 
weeks'  festival  to  defray  the  expense  entailed  by  the 
enlargement  of  the  Sisters'  convent.  On  each  of  the 
twelve  evenings  an  entirely  new  entertainment  was 
given  in  the  hall. 

Another  highly  interesting  event  of  1901  was  the 
victory  of  William  Beatty  of  the  St.  Alphonsus 
Bowling  Team,  who  twice  broke  the  world's  candle- 
pin  record.  In  the  first  of  two  competitive  tests,  he 
bowled  802,  in  seven  consecutive  strings;  in  the  sec- 
ond, 376,  in  three  consecutive  strings.  The  same 
year,  out  of  ten  games  of  pool  with  various  clubs,  the 
St.  Alphonsus  team  won  seven. 


THE  ST.  ALPHONSUS  ASSOCIATION        429 

The  St.  Alphonsus  Congress  was  organized  Jan- 
uary 12,  1902.  Its  object  was  to  discuss  topics  of 
local  and  of  general  interest,  and  to  train  the  mem- 
bers in  parliamentary  practise.  On  September  23 
and  24,  the  annual  convention  of  the  Catholic  Young 
Men's  Union  of  America  was  held  in  Hartford, 
Conn.  The  St.  Alphonsus  Association  was  repre- 
sented by  the  Rev.  Francis  L.  Kenzel,  C.SS.R.,  the 
Spiritual  Director,  and  by  Dr.  T.  H.  O'Connor, 
Richard  H.  Baker,  and  Eugene  J.  Farley  of  the 
Board  of  Directors.  As  a  mark  of  appreciation  of 
the  good  work  accomplished  by  the  Association  dur- 
ing the  past  year,  the  President,  Dr.  O'Connor,  was 
unanimously  chosen  Vice-President  of  the  Union  — 
the  highest  office  attainable  by  a  layman.  The  Union 
also  voted  to  hold  its  next  convention  at  St.  Alphon- 
sus' Hall. 

In  1903,  the  St.  Aphonsus  Bowling  Club  won  the 
championship  in  the  Catholic  League  of  Greater 
Boston.  The  prize  consisted  of  a  beautiful  cup.  Dur- 
ing the  last  three  months  of  this  year,  93  new  mem- 
bers were  admitted  into  the  Association. 

At  the  Marathon  Race  in  St.  Louis,  in  1904, 
Henry  Brawley  of  the  Association  won  seventh 
place  in  a  race  in  which  the  best  runners  in  the  world 
took  part. 

The  leading  event  of  1907  was  thus  described  by 
the  Boston  Herald,  January  31,  1907: 

"  Archbishop  Guest  of  Roxbury  Society — Gives  St. 
Alphonsus  Association  'Unity  and  Loyalty'  as  Motto. 

"Archbishop  O'Connell  celebrated  the  first  anniversary  of 
his  appointment  to  the  archdiocese  of  Boston  by  attending 
as  the  guest  of  honor  the  sixth  annual  banquet  of  the  St. 
Alphonsus  Association  of  Roxbury  last  night.  The  450 
members  present  greeted  him  standing,  with  three  hearty 
cheers. 


430       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

"The  Archbishop  complimented  the  members  on  the 
strength  of  the  organization  and  commended  their  success 
in  athletic  and  intellectual  fields.  'I  learned',  he  said,  'that 
the  organization  has  no  motto.  Let  me  suggest  that  it  be 
"Unity  and  Loyalty."  ' 

"The  motto  was  declared,  unanimously  adopted  by  the 
association. 

"Cups  and  flags,  trophies  won  by  the  athletic  teams,  were 
arranged  around  the  hall,  and  over  the  guests'  table  a  large 
red,  white  and  blue  sign  read  'Welcome'.  President  William 
McGlinchey  introduced  William  J.  Shiels  as  toastmaster. 
Michael  Sughrue,  ex-District  Attorney  of  Suffolk  county, 
spoke  of  the  rapid  growth  of  the  society  and  of  the  number 
of  representative  men  in  its  membership. 

"Frank  Ford,  president  of  St.  Vincent's  Holy  Name  So- 
ciety of  South  Boston,  spoke  of  the  need  for  more  sym- 
pathetic cooperation  among  Catholic  societies. 

"Father  Hayes,  Rector  of  the  Mission  Church,  made  prac- 
tical suggestions  for  the  improvement  of  the  society  and 
admonished  its  members  to  turn  out  in  large  numbers  on  all 
occasions. 

"The  Rev.  D.  J.  O'Sullivan,  of  Boston  College,  .... 
made  a  witty  speech,  choosing  as  his  text  the  old  adage, 
'Save  the  pennies  and  the  dollars  will  take  care  of  them- 
selves.' 

"Between  speeches  the  members  were  entertaind  by  vaude- 
ville artists. 

"The  guests  of  the  evening  were  Mayor  Fitzgerald,  Dr. 
Hugh  Cabot,  President  of  the  Union  Boat  Club ;  Medical 
Examiner  Magrath,  City  Clerk  Donovan,  Dr.  Timothy  Rear- 
don,  Father  Grant  of  St.  Vincent's  parish,  James  Moloney, 
President  of  the  Charlestown  Literary  Union;  Henry  V. 
Macksey  of  the  Catholic  Union,  Matthew  Sheehan,  President 
of  the  Young  Men's  Catholic  Association,  and  Asst.  District 
Attorney  Dwyer." 

On  February  13,  1911,  one  of  the  grandest  ban- 
quets in  the  history  of  the  Association  was  held.  The 
principal  speaker  was  the  veteran  Congressman  and 
orator  of  national  fame,  Hon.  William  Bourke 
Cockran  of  New  York.  The  Boston  Herald  of  the 


THE  ST.  ALPHONSUS  ASSOCIATION        431 

following  day  gave  the   subjoined  account  of  the 
event : 

"Bourke  Cockran  praises  Lincoln — Eulogizes  War 
President  at  Banquet  of  St.  Alphonsus  Association 
--Calls  him  Divine  Agent — Rates  Him  as  One  of 
Greatest  Influences  of  All  Time  for  Civilization. 

"Bourke  Cockran,  speaking  to  700  men  at  the  annual 
banquet  of  the  St.  Alphonsus  Association,  in  Roxbury  last 
night,  eulogized  Abraham  Lincoln,  as  a  supreme  leader  in 
many  lines,  but  above  all  as  an  instrument  of  God,  working 
out  in  political  institutions  the  principles  of  equality  laid 
down  by  Christ. 

"Count  John  Grant  Coyle  of  New  York,  the  Very  Rev. 
James  Hayes,  C.SS.R.,  rector  of  the  Mission  Church,  Rox- 
bury, and  Joseph  A.  Woods,  president  of  the  Association 
were  the  other  speakers.  James  S.  Mahoney  was  toast- 
master. 

"Besides  the  speakers,  at  the  head  table  were  seated  Col. 
John  L.  Sullivan,  Commissioner  O'Meara,  J.  Frank  Facey, 
Joseph  O'Neill,  Daniel  L.  Prendergast,  Mayor  William  T. 
Shea,  of  Quincy,  Michael  H.  Fahey,  James  P.  Maloney, 
Peter  Tague,  the  Rev.  James  A.  Cunningham,  Dr.  P.  J. 
Dervin,  William  F.  Garcelon,  Dr.  Timothy  Reardon,  the 
Rev.  Peter  Corr,  director  of  the  association,  and  the  Rev. 
Francis  L.  Kenzel  of  the  Mission  Church.  J.  P.  Fox,  pre- 
sented athletic  trophies  to  Michael  O'Hara,  Matthew 
O'Hara,  and  John  Cavanaugh. 

Mr.  Cockran 's  Remarks. 

Summing  up  his  address  Mr.  Cockran  said : 

"  'What  is  Lincoln's  place  among  the  leaders  of  the  world 
in  the  days  of  civilization?  How  shall  we  judge  his  contri- 
bution to  the  progress  of  mankind?  In  this,  I  believe,  he 
gives  way  to  no  man  and,  indeed,  takes  first  place. 

"  'If  it  be  true  that  from  the  moment  when  Christian 
revelation  was  made  complete,  it  was  inevitable  that,  if  the 
spiritual  belief  that  all  men  were  equal  in  the  sight  of  God 
were  to  be  universally  accepted,  then  it  must  be  followed  by 


432       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

the  erection  of  political  institutions  which  had  as  their 
corner-stone  the  equality  of  all  men,  and  all  movements  from 
that  hour  were  but  steps  leading  slowly  up  to  the  establish- 
ment of  this  republic,  which  is  but  the  application  to  politi- 
cal institutions  of  that  fundamental  truth  revealed  by  the 
Saviour.  After  him  the  forces  which  gave  most  to  progress 
were  King  Alfred  of  England,  King  Louis  of  France,  Wash- 
ington and  Lincoln  of  America. 

"  'And  never  was  the  doctrine  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount 
better  applied  to  political  institutions  than  when  it  was 
applied  by  Abraham  Lincoln. 

"  'His  life  and  career  are  an  exemplification  of  the  funda- 
mental truth  that  the  justice  and  morality  which  Christ 
revealed  to  us,  and  of  which  His  Church  is  the  repository, 
are  the  foundation  of  the  policy  which  nations  must  pursue 
to  attain  to  the  full  measure  of  prosperity  which  a  benefi- 
cent Creator  intended  for  all  his  creatures. 

"  'It  is  then  not  as  orator,  not  as  political  leader,  as 
lawyer,  statesman  or  military  chief,  though  he  was  great  in 
all  these,  but  as  an  instrument  of  God  that  Lincoln  is 
greatest,  proclaiming  the  policy  of  God  before  a  people 
chosen  of  God  to  illustrate  in  the  severest  crisis  that  there 
was  no  power  so  great  as  the  justice  which  God  enjoined  on 
all  men.' 

"Mr.  Cockran  declared  that  the  nation  would  become 
great  only  so  far  as  it  proceeded  along  the  lines  of  morality 
which  the  Catholic  Church  taught. 

"Joseph  A.  Woods  said  that  the  St.  Alphonsus  Associa- 
tion had  passed  through  a  successful  year  and  urged  loyal 
support. 

"The  object  of  the  association — the  safeguarding  of  the 
moral,  mental,  and  physical  welfare  of  its  members — was 
outlined  by  the  Very  Reverend  James  Hayes,  rector  of  the 
Mission  Church.  He  said  that  the  organization  could  be 
a  strong  influence  for  good,  and  exhorted  the  members  to  in- 
creased zeal  in  striving  to  perfect  themselves  and  the 
society. 

"Dr.  John  Grant  Coyle  of  New  York,  who  has  the  honor 
of  the  Papal  appointment  as  Knight  Commander  of  the 
Holy  Sepulchre,  took  up  the  history  of  the  westward  prog- 
ress of  civilization  from  the  days  of  Babylonian  supremacy, 
and  said^that  the  noblest  and  bravest  of  mankind  had  been 


THE  ST.  ALPHONSUS  ASSOCIATION        433 

the  men  who  led  the  human  wave  sweeping  gradually  towards 
the  setting  sun. 

"He  told  of  the  sterling  characteristics  of  the  men  who 
had  first  discovered,  then  amifl  great  difficulties  settled  the 
western  hemisphere.  Catholicity  had  exerted  an  ennobling 
influence  for  centuries,  he  said.  He  praised  the  qualities  of 
Catholic  immigrants  who,  he  said,  were  making  this  country 
better  and  stronger  and  preparing  it  to  grow  more  indis- 
putably than  ever  the  greatest  nation  of  the  world  and  the 
marvel  of  all  ages." 

In  an  interesting  article,  the  Boston  American  for 
July  2,  1911,  said: 

"St.  Alphonsus'  Association  a  Power  in  Religious  and 
Civil  Life — Young  Men's  Society  at  the  Mission  Church 
is  Planning  to  Enlarge  'Scope  of  Its  Most  Successful 
Work.  .  .  . 

"Founded  by  a  Redemptorist  Father,  the  organization 
now  has  the  largest  private  auditorium  in  New  England, 
model  athletic  quarters  and  reading  rooms,  and  model  bath- 
house on  the  Charles  River. 

"The  St.  Alphonsus  Association  of  the  Mission  Church 
parish,  Roxbury,  one  of  the  largest  and  most  active  organ- 
izations of  Catholic  young  men  in  the  city  of  Boston,  is 
making  elaborate  plans  to  enlarge  during  the  present  season 
the  scope  of  its  activities  and  to  enlist  as  members  still 
more  of  the  progressive  young  men  of  its  own  and  'adjacent 
parishes. 

"The  Association  is  well  known  not  only  in  the  religious 
but  in  the  athletic  and  social  life  of  the  city.  Its  primary 
object  is  for  the  training  of  the  ambitious  boy  and  for  the 
betterment  of  his  civic  and  social  position.  It  was  organ- 
ized as  an  institution  of  the  Mission  Church  parish,  which 
is  under  the  direction  of  the  Redemptorist  Fathers,  by  the 
Rev.  John  J.  Frawley,  C.SS.R.  Rev.  Father  Hayes  is  now 
rector.  Generous  advantages  are  offered  to  the  members 
of  the  Association — spiritually,  socially  and  materially. 

"Through  the  unceasing  and  enthusiastic  work  of  its 
present  spiritual  adviser,  the  Rev.  Peter  Corr,  C.  SS.  R., 
the  association  has  grown  to  proportions  far  exceeding  the 


434       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

hopes  of  its  most  sanguine  founders.  The  membership  num- 
bers over  600.  Father  Corr  would  like  to  see  it  a  round 
thousand  before  the  year  closes.  .  .  . 

"The  customary  collegiate  'merit  system'  has  been  in- 
stalled in  the  rules  of  the  association,  which  gives  the  mem- 
bers who  have  earned  a  place  in  the  athletic  competition 
the  right  to  wear  the  monogram.  .  .  . 

"Under  the  energetic  guidance  of  the  Board  of  Govern- 
ment, a  healthy  activity  is  maintained  throughout  the  year. 
Frequent  social  events  are  offered  to  its  members.  These 
include  banquets,  smoke  talks,  debates,  concerts,  gymnastic 
exhibitions  and  theatricals. 

"The  members  have  acquired  an  excellent  reputation 
through  their  prominence  in  athletics.  They  secured  225 
prizes  during  the  past  year.  .  .  . 

"Under  the  direction  of  the  Dramatic  Club  several  of  the 
latest  theatrical  productions  will  be  presented.  It  will  be 
a  round  of  pleasure  and  activity  for  the  entire  year.  Its 
members  are  most  enthusiastic  for  the  fulfillment  of  the 
plans,  and  are  eager  to  bring  to  a  still  greater  degree  of 
elaboration  the  many  advantages  offered. 

"The  one  star  possession  of  the  association  is  its  boat 
club,  the  formal  opening  of  which,  for  the  present  season,  will 
take  place  on  July  4.  Several  hundred  invitations  have 
been  issued  for  the  event.  The  club  house  is  ideally  located 
upon  the  bank  of  the  Charles  River,  close  to  Cottage  Farm 
Bridge.  The  house  was  purchased  some  three  years  ago  from 
the  West  Boat  Club  of  Harvard  University.  Extensive 
renovations  have  since  been  made.  It  is  now  one  of  the  finest 
boat  club  houses  in  the  country.  Its  members  include  some 
prominent  oarsmen,  such  as  John  J.  Kavanaugh,  Martin 
O'Hara,  Michael  O'Hara  and  Harold  K.  Blackman.  The 
club  is  the  Mecca  of  hundreds  of  boat-loving  visitors  in  the 
summer  season,  as  well  as  members  of  rival  clubs  attending 
the  various  races  held  on  the  river. 

"On  the  night  before  the  Fourth,  the  association  will 
entertain  its  friends  at  an  open  house  party.  And  on  Inde- 
pendence Day  the  members  will  occupy  a  prominent  place  in 
the  program  arranged  for  the  celebration  of  'Roxbury  Day.' 
In  addition  to  marching  in  full  ranks,  the  association  will 
contribute  three  large  floats,  handsomely  mounted.  Five 


VERONICA  SHOWING  THE  TOWEL  TO  THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN 
Celebrated  Painting  by  Roab 


THE  FOYER 


TICKET  OFFICE 


GYMNASIUM 


THE  ST.  ALPHONSUS  ASSOCIATION        435 

hundred  members  will  precede  the  floats,  headed  by  the  Mis- 
sion Church  Band,  one  of  the  leading  boys'  bands  in 
America." 

The  St.  Alphonsus  Association  took  an  active  part 
in  the  movement  to  have  the  playground  located  near 
the  church.  At  a  general  meeting,  attended  by  500 
members,  on  Sunday,  November  26,  1911,  they  regis- 
tered an  emphatic  protest  against  the  proposition  to 
choose  the  site  on  Halleck  St. 

Of  the  banquet  of  1912,  held  January  15,  the  Bos- 
ton Globe  said: 

"Hold  Religion  National  Need  —  Walsh  and 
Malone  at  Roxbury  Banquet  —  Sons  of  Immigrants 
Coming  to  High  Posts,  Says  Former — Session  of 
St.  Alphonsus'  Association. 

"The  rising  influence  of  the  sons  of  immigrants  in  Massa- 
chusetts and  the  part  which  the  Cathplic  Church  is  taking 
in  the  solution  of  the  problems  of  Government  and  civiliza- 
tion in  this  country  were  discussed  by  David  I.  Walsh  of 
Fitchburg  and  Dudley  Field  Malone  of  New  York  at  the 
llth  annual  banquet  of  the  St.  Alphonsus  Association  of 
Roxbury  last  night. 

"Fully  700  members  and  friends  were  present,  including 
priests  of  the  Mission  Church  and  other  parishes.  The 
parochial  school  hall  on  Smith  Street  was  decorated  with 
red,  white  and  blue  electric  lights,  bunting,  streamers  of 
buff  and  blue  and  evergreen.  At  the  rear  of  the  head  table 
a  large  electric  illumination  spelled  'Welcome.' 

"A  reception  in  the  parlors  and  library  preceded  the 
banquet.  Orchestral  music  and  singing  formed  part  of  the 
program. 

"Seated  at  the  head  table  with  President  Joseph  C.  Woods 
were:  David  I.  Walsh,  State  Senator  from  Fitchburg;  Dud- 
ley Field  Malone  of  New  York ;  Rev.  James  Hayes,  C.  SS.  R., 
rector  of  the  Mission  Church;  Rev.  Peter  Corr,  spiritual 
director  of  the  association ;  C.  O'Connell  Galvin ;  Rev.  Peter 
Cusick,  S.J.,  of  Boston  College;  Rev.  Francis  L.  Kenzel, 
C.  SS.  R.,  and  Rev.  Richard  Donohoe,  C.  SS.  R.,  past  rev- 


436       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

erend  spiritual  director  of  the  association ;  President  George 
T.  Daly  of  the  Young  Men's  Catholic  Association  of  Bos- 
ton ;  President  Peter  Daly  of  the  Canton  Catholic  Club,  and 
the  association  officers. 

"Hugh  J.  McElaney  was  toastmaster.  Father  Hayes,  the 
first  speaker,  said  the  prosperity  of  the  nation  rests  on  a 
moral  and  God-fearing  manhood,  the  goal  that  the  St.  Al- 
phonsus  Association  is  striving  for. 

"Mr.  Walsh  took  for  his  subject  'The  Education  of  the 
Citizen.'  He  said,  in  part :  'Massachusetts  is  not  yet  ready 
for  the  sons  of  immigrants  to  hold  high  public  office,  but  the 
day  is  not  long  distant  when  the  barriers  will  be  removed 
and  maybe  one  of  us  will  hold  sfill  higher  office  than  we 
have  sought.  I  want  to  show  this  Commonwealth  that  the 
denial  of  public  position  to  the  children  of  immigrants  is 
costing  more  than  she  knows. 

"  'What  are  the  duties  and  responsibilities  of  the  private 
citizen?  In  my  judgment  he  is  greater  than  the  highest 
public  official,  he  can  drive  out  of  government  bossism  and 
corruption.  What  is  the  power  and  influence  that  must  be 
exerted  to  make  good  citizens?  Religion  and  religious  edu- 
cation. 

"  'Our  idea  in  the  Catholic  Faith  is  not  only  men  trained 
and  educated,  but  also  of  a  trained  and  educated  heart  and 
conscience.  The  greatest  questions  of  today  are  answered 
successfully  by  the  man  who  looks  up.  Shall  this  be  a  gov- 
ernment of  commercialism  or  shall  it  be  one  of  humanitar- 
ianism?  We  have  the  answer  because  we  have  the  religion 
that  is  training  the  heart. 

"  'There  is  but  one  force  that  can  and  is  successfully 
combating  socialism  and  that  is  the  Catholic  Church.  The 
same  is  true  of  the  divorce  evil,  for  in  our  religion  we  have 
the  solution. 

"  'Take  courage ;  be  a  man  in  the  full  sense  of  the  word,  a 
man  in  the  meaning  of  our  religion,  a  man  who  looks  up. 
Do  something  somewhere  to  make  life  a  little  brighter,  a 
little  happier  and  a  little  better  for  those  that  are  to  come, 
so  that  this  world  of  ours,  when  we  leave,  will  be  a  little  bet- 
ter and  a  little  brighter  than  the  day  we  came  into  it.' 

"Mr.  Malone  said,  in  part : 

"  'My  fellow-citizens,  there  never  has  been  a  time  since  the 
days  of  the  Revolution  when  really  disinterested  patriotism 
was  as  ardently  needed  for  the  protection  of  our  institutions 


THE  ST.  ALPHONSUS  ASSOCIATION        437 

as  it  is  needed  today;  there  never  was  a  time  when  the  Re- 
public needed  citizens  who  could  rise  above  personal  advan- 
tage and  the  spirit  of  partisanship  as  it  needs  them  today. 

"  'We  have  just  passed  through  an  ethical  revolution  in 
business  and  politics,  and  it  is  a  subject  of  sincere  con- 
gratulation that  we  have  returned  to  an  independent  adop- 
tion of  many  moral  principles  which  imbued  and  impelled 
our  forefathers. 

"  'We  are  as  prosperous  materially  as  we  were  before  the 
panic.  We  do  not  gamble  as  much.  We  are  not  living  as 
luxuriously  as  we  did.  Business  men  are  not  making  the 
tremendous  profits  they  made  from  our  extravagances,  but 
there  are  200,000  more  bank  accounts  in  New  York  City 
than  there  were  two  years  ago,  and  we  are  a  wiser,  a  healthier 
and  a  more  provident  people. 

"  'But  the  great  evil  and  the  great  danger  of  today  is 
represented  in  the  general  lack  of  reverence  for  and  indif- 
ference to  religion.  Men  are  indifferent  to  religion.  Pros- 
perity is  killing  faith.  It  would  almost  be  better  for  the 
morality  of  our  country  that  we  had  religious  fanaticism 
than  that  we  should  have  lethargy,  for  one  spells  life,  the 
other,  death. 

"  'That  brilliant  scholar,  historian  and  statesman,  Gov- 
ernor Woodrow  Wilson  of  New  Jersey,  though  himself  not 
a  Catholic,  in  speaking  some  years  ago  of  the  regeneration 
of  society,  said: 

"  '  "No  society  is  renewed  from  the  top.  Every  society  is 
renewed  from  the  bottom.  The  only  reason  why  govern- 
ments did  not  suffer  dry  rot  in  the  Middle  Ages  under 
the  autocratic  system  which  controlled  them  was  that  the 
men  who  were  efficient  instruments  of  government — most  of 
the  officials  of  government — were  drawn  from  the  church. 

"  '  "The  Roman  Catholic  Church  then  as  now,  was  a  great 
democracy.  What  kept  government  alive  in  the  Middle 
Ages  was  the  constant  rise  of  the  sap  from  the  bottom,  from 
the  ranks — from  the  rank  and  file  of  the  great  body  of  the 
people  through  the  open  channels  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
priesthood." '  " 

The  list  of  speakers  at  the  banquet  of  1917,  given 
January  22,  included  besides  the  Rev.  Father  Hayes, 
the  Hon.  Samuel  W.  McCall,  Governor  of  Massa- 


438       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

chusetts,  the  Hon.  James  M.  Curley,  Mayor  of  Bos- 
ton, the  Hon.  William  Charles  Adamson  of  Carroll- 
ton,  Georgia,  Member  of  Congress  and  author  of 
the  Adamson  Eight-Hour  Railway  Law,  and  Judge 
Michael  Murray.  Congressman  Adamson,  at  the, 
close  of  his  speech,  which  dealt  with  the  great 
economic  measure  which  he  had  originated,  made  an 
impassioned  plea  for  practical  religious  belief  in  pub- 
lic as  well  as  in  private  life. 

During  the  Great  War,  the  Association  made  a 
proud  record  along  all  lines.  Besides  giving  185 
members  to  the  service,  it  interested  itself  in  every 
project  making  for  the  well-being  and  happiness  of 
the  soldiers  and  the  sailors  at  home  and  abroad.  The 
Military  Aid  Committee  of  the  Association,  organ- 
ized in  the  autumn  of  1917,  was  composed  of  the  fol- 
lowing members:  Joseph  V.  Comerford,  Chairman; 
John  J.  Counihan,  Secretary;  Joseph  T.  Watson, 
Treasurer;  George  W.  Hoar,  and  James  S. 
Mahoney.  Its  object  was  to  look  after  the  needs  of 
the  members  who  responded  to  the  call  of  our  beloved 
country  in  the  war.  Through  energetic  work  this 
committee  raised  $1,920.77,  which  was  expended  for 
the  comfort  of  the  members  in  the  Army  and  in  the 
Navy.  Each  member  who  had  rallied  round  the  flag, 
received  a  comfort  kit  which  contained  the  following 
articles:  sweater,  wristlets,  helmet,  cigarettes,  candy, 
gum,  tooth  paste,  chocolate,  shaving-soap,  writing- 
paper,  stamps,  envelopes,  foot-powder  and  toilet- 
soap.  The  committee  followed  the  members  from 
camp  to  camp,  so  that  their  friends,  when  they  wished 
to  communicate  with  them,  could  always  find  their 
addresses  on  the  bulletin-board  of  the  Association. 

During  the  season  of  1918,  Mr.  George  W.  Hoar, 
member  of  the  Committee,  was  accidentally  killed, 
and  Mr.  Joseph  V.  Comerford,  Chairman,  was 


THE  ST.  ALPHONSUS  ASSOCIATION        439 

appointed  an  ensign  in  the  Navy  and  assigned  to 
Pelham  Bay;  the  work  of  the  Committee  thus  fell  on 
Messrs.  Watson,  Counihan,  and  Mahony,  with  Mr. 
Watson  as  Chairman.  Under  his  management  the 
St.  Alphonsus  Association  was  the  first  organization 
in  Greater  Boston  to  start  a  movement  for  the  erec- 
tion of  a  permanent  memorial  to  its  hero  members — 
a  project  which  was  put  through  with  enthusiasm. 

On  Sunday,  April  27,  1919,  one  of  the  greatest 
events  in  the  annals  of  the  Association  took  place,  in 
the  solemn  dedication  of  a  solid  bronze  tablet  in- 
scribed with  the  names  of  the  185  members  who  took 
up  arms  at  the  call  of  President  Wilson.  The  dedi- 
catory exercises  began  with  a  Solemn  Mass  at  8 
o'clock,  celebrated  by  the  Rev.  James  Hayes,  who 
was  Rector  of  the  Mission  Church  when  most  of  the 
boys  entered  the  service.  Every  member  of  the  Asso- 
ciation received  Holy  Communion.  An  elaborate 
musical  program  was  rendered  by  Prof.  Frank  E. 
Fassnacht.  During  the  Mass  the  names  of  the  four 
members  who  had  made  the  supreme  sacrifice  were 
read;  the  buglers  in  the  choir- loft  blew  taps  and 
the  color-bearers  lowered  the  colors.  The  tense  sad- 
ness of  the  moment  brought  tears  to  nearly  every 
eye. 

After  the  Mass  the  members  marched  to  the  Asso- 
ciation building;  those  who  had  served  in  the  Army, 
were  in  charge  of  First  Lieutenant  John  J.  Riley; 
those  who  had  served  in  the  Navy,  were  under 
command  of  Chief  Warrant  Officer  Daniel  G.  Sheils. 
A  New  England  breakfast  was  then  given  by  the 
Fathers,  after  which  the  memorial  tablet  was  blessed 
by  the  Rev.  Father  Kenna.  Speeches  were  made  by 
Gov.  Calvin  Coolidge,  Congressman  Tinkham,  Capt. 
Reily,  Capt.  Hourihan  (for  Commander  Wood) ,  and 
the  Rev.  Fathers  Kenna,  Hayes,  Clark,  and  Murray. 


440       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

The  memorial  tablet,  53  by  53  inches,  was  pro- 
nounced by  the  Regan,  Kipp  Co.,  the  Boston  agents 
of  the  Gorham  Manufacturing  Company  of  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  to  be  the  finest  of  its  kind  ever  cast.  It 
now  adorns  the  wall  in  the  foyer  of  the  St.  Alphon- 
sus  Hall. 

On  January  19th,  1920,  the  "  Victory  Banquet " 
of  the  Association  took  place.  Among  the  speakers 
were  Rear  Admiral  Benson,  U.  S.  N.,  Major  Hugh 
A.  Drum,  U.  S.  A.,  who  is  a  member  of  the  St. 
Alphonsus  Association,  Captain  James  J.  Raby,  U. 
S.  N.,  the  Rev.  Michael  Dwyer  of  Rensselaer,  N.  Y., 
the  Hon.  Eward  Quinn,  Mayor  of  Cambridge,  and 
Lieutenant  Edward  Isaacs,  U.  S.  N.  Nearly  a  thou- 
sand members  and  friends  of  the  Association  were 
present. 

Rear  Admiral  Benson,  who  was  appointed  Chief 
of  Naval  operations  in  May,  1915,  defended  the 
Navy  against  unjust  criticism  leveled  at  it,  and 
declared  that  "the  accomplishments  of  the  Navy  in 
the  past  two  years  speak  sufficiently  for  it."  He 
described  the  system  of  convoying  troops  to  and  from 
France,  and  outlined  the  campaign  against  the  de- 
structive submarine.  Most  of  the  work,  he  said, 
which  closed  the  Straits  of  Dover,  and  over 
80  per  cent  of  the  North  Sea  barrage  of  mines,  was 
done  by  the  American  Navy.  He  was  present  at  the 
Paris  Peace  Conference  and  gathered  the  impression 
that  if  the  world  was  to  be  saved  it  devolved  on  the 
United  States  to  save  it.  Major  Drum,  who  was 
Chief  of  Staff  of  the  A.  E.  F.,  referred  to  the  much- 
discussed  question  of  the  fighting  .after  eleven  o'clock 
on  the  day  the  Armistice  was  signed.  He  pointed 
out  how  difficult  it  was  to  get  the  message  to  all 
before  the  stated  hour.  Shortly  after  that  time  he 
received  a  radiogram  from  the  German  officers  say- 


THE  ST.  ALPttONSUS  ASSOCIATION        441 

ing:  "The  Armistice  has  been  signed,  please  stop 
the  fighting."  Major  Drum,  quoting  the  figures  of 
the  A.  E.  F.,  which  showed  that  30  per  cent,  of  that 
body  were  illiterates,  advocated  preparedness  along 
the  lines  of  better  education  and  more  enlightened 
citizenship. 

The  Rev.  Michael  J.  Dwyer,  former  District  At- 
torney of  Suffolk  County,  and  for  many  years  a 
member  of  the  St.Alphonsus  Association,  captivated, 
the  gathering  with  his  eloquent  address  on  "  Patriot- 
ism and  Religion."  The  various  speeches  concluded, 
Father  Dwyer  rendered  several  ballads,  which 
brought  back  the  old  days  when  he  ranked  as  one  of 
the  best  singers  in  Greater  Boston. 

Lieut.  Edward  Isaacs,  U.  S.  N.,  describing  his  cap- 
ture, and  escape  from  a  German  camp,  gave  a  talk 
that  was  full  of  "  thrills."  He  told  of  the  weird  sen- 
sation of  being  held  captive  in  a  German  submarine 
for  ten  days;  and,  in  a  nonchalant,  matter-of-fact 
way,  rehearsed  the  story  of  his  attempted  escape  from 
a  German  train,  when,  plunging  through  the  window, 
he  landed  in  another  train,  and  received  injuries  that 
made  further  flight  impossible.  He  was  awarded  a 
Distinguished  Service  Medal  by  the  War  Depart- 
ment. 

A  very  pleasant  smoke  talk  was  held  in  the  rooms 
of  the  Association,  Sunday  afternoon,  February  15, 
1920.  The  speakers  were  Capt.  Billy  Murray  of  Har- 
vard, who  gave  his  expediences  in  football,  and  Eddie 
Casey,  also  of  Harvard,  who  described  his  trip  to  the 
Pacific  Coast. 

On  June  3,  the  Association  tendered  a  reception  to 
Mr.  Arthur  Roth,  the  noted  runner,  who  made  a 
splendid  showing  in  the  Marathon  conducted  April 
19,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Boston  Athletic  Asso- 
ciation. Mr.  Roth,  who  has  represented  the  St. 


442       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Alphonsus  Association  on  the  track  for  the  past  four 
years,  has  a  record  which  entitles  him  to  compare  with 
some  of  the  best  long-distance  runners  in  the  coun- 
try. He  won  the  B.  A.  A.  Marathon  in  1916 ;  finished 
fourth  in  1914,  and  eleventh  in  1917.  He  was  the 
first  member  of  the  St.  Alphonsus  Association  to  at- 
tain a  place  on  the  American  Olympic  Team. 

The  past  spiritual  directors  of  the  St.  Alphonsus 
Association  have  been: 

The  Rev.  Joseph  McGrath,  C.  SS.  R. 
The  Rev.  Francis  L.  Kenzel,  C.  SS.  R. 
The  Rev.  Richard  Donohoe,  C.  SS.  R. 
The  Rev.  Peter  Corr,  C.  SS.  R. 
The  Rev.  James  J.  Lynch,  C.  SS.  R. 

The  present  officers  and  directors  are : 

The  Rev.  William  B.  Kenna,  C.  SS.  R.,  Reverend  President 
The  Rev.  Joseph  P.  Leddy,  C.  SS.  R.,  Spiritual  Director 

Frank  V.  Ward President 

*  John  J.  Counihan President 

Joseph  T.  Watson Vice-President 

Joseph  C.  Woods Treasurer 

John  W.  Grady Secretary 

Directors 

f  John  J.  Casey  Charles  G.  Macullar 

John  G.  Cleary  Stephen  H.  O'Meara 

Joseph  M.  Conway  John  E.  O'Neil 

Lawrence  A.  Kelledy  Daniel  G.  Sheils 

Thomas  B.  Kenney  Richard  T.  Wyllie 

John  A.  MacDonald,  Jr. 

The  members  of  the  St.  Alphonsus  Association, 
during  the  21  years  of  its  existence,  have  so  comported 

*Mr.  John  J.  Counihan  was  chosen  President  at  the  annual 
elections  in  April,  1920,  but  resigned  some  months  later,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Mr.  Frank  V.  Ward. 

fResigned. 


THE  ST.  ALPHONSUS  ASSOCIATION        443 

themselves  as  to  reflect  in  their  lives  the  lessons 
taught  by  the  great  Saint  whose  name  they  bear. 
May  they  continue  to  exercise  in  the  future,  as  they 
have  exercised  in  the  past,  the  fruitful  apostolate  of 
good  example!  The  record  of  the  Association  is  a 
glowing  ruby  inset  in  the  history  of  the  parish. 


THE  MISSION  CHURCH  FIELD  BAND. 

With  the  establishment  of  the  St.  Alphonsus  Asso- 
ciation the  young  men  of  the  parish  had  been  admir- 
ably provided  for,  but  so  far  there  was  no  social  or- 
ganization for  working  boys  under  18  years  of  age. 
In  order  to  fill  this  want  Father  Hayes,  who  had  al- 
ways taken  the  keenest  interest  in  the  boys,  organized 
February  5,  1900,  with  the  approval  and  sanction  of 
Father  Frawley,  the  St.  Joseph's  Society  for  Work- 
ing Boys.  The  object  of  the  Society  was  to  keep  the 
boys  from  evil  influences  of  whatever  kind  and  to 
provide  them  with  wholesome  amusement.  The  lads 
showed  a  spirit  of  appreciation  rare  for  their  age,  and 
not  only  fulfilled  the  obligations  of  the  Society  faith- 
fully, but  also  formed  a  warm  and  lasting  personal 
attachment  to  Father  Hayes. 

About  ten  months  later,  at  a  supper  given  to  the 
boys,  Father  Hayes  conceived  the  idea  of  organizing 
a  fife  and  drum  corps  from  among  the  members  of 
the  Society.  In  this  move  he  received  invaluable  aid 
from  Mr.  J.  M.  Fitzgerald,  who  by  long  experience 
as  a  leader  of  boy  musicians,  was  admirably  qualified 
for  the  undertaking.  The  boys  took  to  the  idea  at 
once;  practically  all  of  them  threw  themselves  heart 
and  soul  into  the  project  and  began  to  devote  them- 
selves enthusiastically  to  the  task  of  learning  the  in- 
struments. The  fife  and  drum  corps  soon  developed 
into  a  field  band;  and  the  school  hall  was  devoted 
to  the  use  of  the  boys,  where  every  evening  they  could 


THE  MISSION  CHURCH  FIELD  BAND       445 

practise  on  the  instruments  and  learn  the  rudiments 
of  the  military  drill.  The  amount  of  natural  talent 
for  music  that  showed  itself  among  the  boys  was  both 
surprising  and  gratifying. 

The  lads  worked  so  hard  and  learned  so  quickly 
that  in  about  six  months  the  Mission  Church  Field 
Band  was  able  to  make  its  first  public  appearance. 
On  Memorial  Day,  1901,  the  fife  and  drum  corps, 
in  full  uniform,  high-spirited  and  enthusiastic,  with 
colors  proudly  floating  to  the  breeze,  escorted  the 
Roxbury  Veterans  of  the  Spanish- American  War  to 
Holyhood  Cemetery.  Like  crusaders  going  to 
fight  for  a  high  and  holy  ideal,  the  boys  marched  in 
exact  alignment  through  the  streets  of  Roxbury  and 
Brookline,  and  played  so  well  as  to  reflect  lasting 
credit  on  the  Mission  Church. 

In  the  grand  parade  on  the  following  Labor  Day 
the  Mission  Church  was  represented  for  the  first  time 
in  the  history  of  Boston  by  the  field  band.  Scores 
of  the  parishioners  asserted  that  they  never  felt 
prouder  of  their  church  than  when  they  saw  the  way 
the  boys  bore  themselves,  and  especially  when  they 
heard  the  spontaneous  bursts  of  applause  with  which 
they  were  greeted  by  the  people  of  Boston.  It  was 
the  well-nigh  universal  judgment  of  the  spectators 
that  one  of  the  most  attractive,  if  not  the  most  attrac- 
tive feature  of  the  whole  parade  was  the  Mission 
Church  Field  Band.  The  beautiful  uniforms  and 
the  excellent  music  of  the  boys  were  admired  on  all 
sides,  while  their  manly  appearance  and  military  car- 
riage were  favorably  noticed  and  loudly  applauded 
all  along  the  line. 

Eight  months  later,  when  the  Boston  Fusiliers,  one 
of  the  oldest  and  most  respected  military  organiza- 
tions in  the  State,  began  preparations  for  the  celebra- 
tion of  their  115th  anniversary,  three  of  the  leading 


446       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

brass  bands  in  New  England  offered  their  services 
free  of  charge,  regarding  the  honor  of  furnishing  the 
music  for  such  a  body  of  men  as  sufficient  compen- 
sation for  their  work.  The  officers  of  the  company, 
however,  wrote  to  the  manager  of  the  Mission  Church 
Field  Band  and  asked  to  have  the  boys  play.  These 
gentlemen  said  they  had  seen  the  lads  on  Labor  Day 
and  had  been  so  favorably  impressed  by  them  that 
they  preferred  the  Mission  Church  Field  Band  to  any 
other  in  New  England.  Their  request  was  favorably 
received,  and  on  May  12,  the  boys  met  the  Fusiliers  at 
the  State  Armory  on  Irvington  Street,  where  supper 
was  served  at  6 :45.  After  supper  ranks  were  formed 
and  the  Fusiliers  with  their  guests,  headed  by  the 
band,  paraded  through  the  principal  streets  of  Boston 
to  Music  Hall.  After  the  entertainment  given  in 
honor  of  the  occasion,  when  the  Fusiliers  were  re- 
turning to  the  armory,  the  band  again  furnished  the 
music.  As  soon  as  ranks  had  been  broken,  the  soldiers 
applauded  the  boys  heartily,  praised  them  to  the  skies 
and  declared  themselves  not  merely  pleased  but  high- 
ly delighted  with  the  Mission  Church  Field  Band. 
Some  of  the  most  prominent  military  men  of  the 
State  were  present,  and  the  general  verdict  was  that 
the  boys  were  a  credit  to  any  organization,  civic  or 
ecclesiastical,  and  that  those  in  charge  of  the  Band 
need  not  fear  to  accept  any  engagement.  The  sen- 
timents of  the  Fusiliers  were  thus  voiced  by  one  of 
the  members  who  had  fought  throughout  the  Civil 
War:  "  I  have  marched,"  he  said,  "  behind  the  leading 
military  bands  of  the  country,  but  never  have  I 
marched  with  more  satisfaction  and  pleasure  than 
tonight  behind  the  Mission  Church  Field  Band." 

Another  flattering  compliment  paid  the  Band  in 
the  early  days  of  its  existence  is  found  in  the  fact 
that  it  was  among  the  first  organizations  engaged  by 


THE  MISSION  CHURCH  FIELD  BAND      447 

the  City  of  Boston  for  the  grand  celebration  of 
Bunker  Hill  Day,  June  17,  1902.  The  Band  led  one 
of  the  largest  divisions  of  the  great  Charlestown  pa- 
rade. When  the  company  that  held  the  right  of  line 
in  the  division  saw  the  Band  they  objected  to  being 
led  by  "  a  band  of  boys."  They  were  told  by  the  mar- 
shal, however,  to  give  the  boys  a  chance,  and,  if  the 
music  proved  unsatisfactory,  another  band  would  be 
furnished  them.  But  before  long  the  marshal  was 
assured  that  the  company  was  fully  satisfied,  and,  in 
fact,  better  pleased  with  our  Band  than  with  any 
other  in  the  parade.  Even  the  city  officials  joined 
in  the  generous  tributes  accorded  the  boys  for  their 
spirited  playing,  fine  marching  and  military  appear- 
ance. One  of  them,  a  member  of  the  City  Music 
Committee,  actually  went  so  far  as  to  say  that  the 
Mission  Church  Band  made  the  finest  showing  of 
any  in  the  city,  that  he  had  changed  his  position,  for 
the  sole  purpose  of  viewing  the  boys  a  second  time, 
and  that  in  the  future,  when  there  would  be  a  ques- 
tion of  the  City's  engaging  bands,  the  Mission 
Church  Field  Band  would  be  one  of  the  first  to  be 
considered. 

When  the  Labor  Day  parade  of  1902  was  being 
formed,  as  many  as  twenty- one  organizations  ex- 
pressed the  wish  to  hire  the  Band ;  and  when  positions 
in  the  line  were  assigned,  the  Mission  Church  Field 
Band  had  the  honor  to  lead  the  entire  second  division. 
All  along  the  route  they  were  acclaimed  with  generous 
plaudits,  especially  in  front  of  the  State  House,  when 
they  passed  the  Governor's  reviewing  stand,  through 
two  solid  masses  of  spectators.  From  the  stand  at 
the  City  Hall  the  keen  eye  of  Mayor  Collins  per- 
ceived the  boys  in  the  distance  and  watched  them  in- 
tently as  they  approached.  When  they  had  passed 
he  declared:  "That  band  is  by  far  the  finest  of  the 


448       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

entire  parade."  Certainly  an  extraordinary  tribute, 
when  we  remember  that  every  band  in  the  city  of 
Boston  had  been  engaged  to  accompany  the  18,000 
men  in  line.  The  following  day  the  newspapers,  in 
their  several  accounts  of  the  parade,  omitted  mention 
of  every  band  except  that  of  the  Mission  Church. 

At  the  celebration  of  "  Patriots'  Day  "  in  historic 
Salem,  in  1903,  our  Band  led  the  parade.  The  im- 
pression made  by  the  boys  is  the  best  told  by  the  fol- 
lowing quotation  from  one  of  the  Boston  papers: 

"Along  the  route  the  sidewalks  were  crowded  with  specta- 
tors, who  applauded  several  of  the  companies  for  their  fine 
appearance  and  fine  marching,  and  were  favorably  impressed 
with  the  general  good  appearance  of  every  company  in  line. 
The  column  numbered  2,137  men.  The  music  was  furnished 
by  ten  bands  and  eight  drum  corps,  the  Drum  and  Bugle 
Corps  of  the  Mission  Church,  Roxbury,  making  the  finest 
appearance.  The  corps  comprised  sixty  boys,  who  played 
superbly.  The  aftermath  was  that  four  of  the  organiza- 
tions taking  part  applied  at  once  for  the  services  of  the 
band  on  Bunker  Hill  Day." 

A  day  or  two  later  one  of  the  highest  officials  of 
the  city  government  wrote  a  letter  heartily  compli- 
menting the  boys  and  referring  to  them  as  "one  of 
the  most  striking  elements  of  the  entire  parade." 

In  its  description  of  the  "  Old  Home  Week  "  cele- 
bration in  Hull  (August  1,  1903),  the  Boston 
Herald  said: 

"The  music  of  the  first  division  was  made  by  the  Mission 
(Church  Field  Band  of  Roxbury.  The  boys  had  a  full  turn- 
out and  the  drum  corps  made  an  excellent  appearance  and 
performed  well." 

The  Firemen's  Muster  in  Salem  (August  20) ,  with 
five  thousand  men  in  line,  came  next  on  the  list  of 
triumphs  for  the  Band.  The  Salem  News  made  this 
remark : 


THE  MISSION  CHURCH  FIELD  BAND       449 

"The  Mission  Church  Field  Band  accompanied  the  Red 
Jackets.  They  were  dressed  in  blue  coats,  trimmed  with 
silver  braid,  white  breeches  with  red  stripes,  and  numbered 
sixty  pieces.  They  made  a  big  show  and  were  one  of  the 
features  of  the  parade." 

The  climax  hit  of  the  season,  however,  was  made 
September  7,  in  the  Labor  Demonstration,  in  which 
fourteen  thousand  men  participated.  Two  of  the 
Boston  papers  made  the  following  comments: 

"The  Mission  Church  Band,  composed  of  boys,  was  ap- 
plauded everywhere,  the  Mayor  joining  in  at  City  Hall." — 
Boston  Post. 

"The  supply  of  music  in  the  second  division  was  beyond 
the  average  of  former  years,  some  five  hundred  pieces  being 
in  line.  The  Mission  Church  Band  of  Roxbury,  which 
marched  at  the  head  of  the  paving  department  men  near 
the  head  of  the  division  was  given  the  palm  along  the  route. 
The  band  numbered  one  hundred  and  six  pieces,  and  the  lads 
dressed  in  their  natty  blue  uniforms  trimmed  with  white 
were  given  hearty  applause." — Boston  Globe. 

At  the  Bunker  Hill  parade,  June  17,  1904,  our 
boys  again  won  proud  distinction.  Preceded  by  a 
score  of  mounted  police  the  Mission  Church  Field 
Band  marched  at  the  head  of  the  great  parade, 
round  the  famous  monument,  and  up  and  down  the 
streets  of  Charlestown.  At  almost  every  step  they 
were  greeted  with  tumultuous  applause. 

In  August  of  the  same  year  the  Boston  Herald 
sent  a  representative  to  Father  Hayes  to  ask  him  to 
allow  the  Band  to  accompany  the  newsboys  to  the 
train  on  their  departure  for  the  St.  Louis  Exposition. 
Father  Hayes  gladly  consented;  the  Band  played  in 
its  best  style,  and  the  Herald  for  August  14  said: 

"Not  only  is  the  band  of  this  boys'  organization  one  of 
the  largest  in  the  country,  but  the  excellence  of  its  music 
has  received  the  commendation  of  several  band  leaders  of 


450       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

reputation.  .  .  .  They  were  repeatedly  cheered  along  the 
route  yesterday  afternoon,  to  all  of  which  the  Drum  Major 
made  artistic  response." 


Two  days  afterwards,  at  the  G.  A.  R.  parade,  the 
most  prominent  place,  the  lead  of  all  Massachusetts 
State  troops,  was  again  accorded  the  Mission  Church 
Field  Band.  The  soldierly  bearing  of  the  boys  as 
they  marched  in  front  of  the  veterans  of  our  wars, 
won  favorable  attention  from  every  commander  in 
line. 

In  1907,  in  an  article  on  the  Bunker  Hill  parade, 
the  Boston  Globe  said: 

"Undoubtedly  the  one  musical  organization  which  at- 
tracted the  most  attention  was  the  Mission  Church  Band, 
fife,  drum  and  bugle  corps,  which  not  only  played  fine 
marching  music,  but  was  a  veritable  parade  in  itself.  The 
applause  which  greeted  the  boys  was  almost  sufficient  to 
drown  their  music  at  times." 


During  the  entire  week  beginning  August  5,  1907, 
the  city  of  Bath,  Maine,  celebrated  the  300th  anni- 
versary of  American  shipbuilding,  the  first  American 
ship  having  been  built  there  in  1607.  A  large  body 
of  the  citizens  of  Bath,  knowing  the  Mission  Church 
Field  Band  by  reputation,  solicited  their  services  to 
help  make  the  occasion  a  success.  What  the  upshot 
was,  the  following  extract  from  the  Bath  Daily 
Times  will  tell: 

"Boys  Praised  Everywhere,  Mission  Church  Band 
Scattered  Music  Through  City. 

"The  famous  Mission  Church  Field  Band  of  Roxbury,  100 
pieces,  arrived  this  morning  on  the  steamer  Penobscot  and 
was  received  at  the  wharf  by  Rev.  R.  W.  Phelan,  and 
escorted  to  St.  Mary's  Church,  where  the  boys  will  be  en- 


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THE  MISSION  CHURCH  FIELD  BAND       4-51 

tertained  during  their  stay  in  the  city.  The  band  is  com- 
posed of  100  boys,  all  expert  musicians.  J.  M.  Fitzgerald 
is  leader.  .  .  . 

"During  the  morning  the  boys  gave  a  concert  in  Sagad- 
hoc  Square  which  was  hugely  enjoyed.  They  then  traveled 
over  the  local  electric  line  in  two  special  cars.  In  the  after- 
noon they  serenaded  Collector  Crosby  at  his  home  on  High 
Street  and  were  treated  to  refreshments.  The  party  then 
proceeded  to  the  residence  of  Mayor  Hughes  and  serenaded 
his  honor  in  spirited  style.  Mayor  and  Mrs.  Hughes  en- 
tertained many  guests  during  the  concert  and  served  the 
boys  with  lemonade  and  sandwiches.  The  concert  closed 
with  the  'Star  Spangled  Banner,'  amid  cheers  from  the  vast 
crowd  surrounding  the  grounds.  In  the  evening  the  band 
delighted  a  large  crowd  in  the  park  with  a  two-hour  concert, 
and  every  number  was  heartily  applauded." 


Owing  to  a  demand  from  the  public  the  boys  post- 
poned their  departure  from  Bath  for  a  whole  day. 
In  the  morning  they  paraded  through  the  principal 
streets  of  the  town  and  in  the  afternoon  gave  a  con- 
cert in  the  park. 

The  Band  won  fresh  laurels  when,  as  a  special  dele- 
gation, it  traveled  to  the  National  Convention  of  the 
American  Federation  of  Catholic  Societies  in  Balti- 
more, in  1914. 

On  Sunday,  September  27,  the  boys,  having  made 
a  visit  to  the  Shrine,  in  order  to  implore  the  protec- 
tion of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  began  the  jour- 
ney, in  charge  of  Father  Hayes.  They  arrived  at 
Baltimore  the  following  evening,  and  on  Tuesday 
morning  early  called  at  Convention  Hall,  to  pay 
their  respects  to  the  assembly  and  to  receive  their 
delegate-  or  guest-badges.  In  the  afternoon  the  Band 
took  part  in  the  Holy  Name  parade  of  the  parishes 
of  Baltimore  and  of  the  vicinity.  The  boys  were  to 
lead  the  delegates  from  Boston,  but,  unfortunately, 
the  latter  were  detained  by  business  at  the  conven- 


452       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

tion.  When  it  was  learned  that  they  would  be  unable 
to  parade,  the  Band  fell  in  line  at  the  head  of  the  rep- 
resentatives from  St.  Mary's  Church,  Annapolis.  As 
usual,  the  boys  by  their  fine  marching  and  beautiful 
music  covered  themselves  with  glory.  From  all  quar- 
ters they  received  high  encomiums  and  were  loudly 
applauded  when  they  passed  the  reviewing  stand  oc- 
cupied by  Cardinal  Gib.bons,  in  front  of  the  historic 
Baltimore  Cathedral. 

On  Wednesday  the  Band  went  by  boat  to  An- 
napolis and  the  following  day  journeyed  to  Washing- 
ton, where  they  had  the  honor  of  being  received  by 
President  Wilson.  So  favorable  was  the  impression 
they  made  on  the  delegates  at  Baltimore  that  they 
were  invited  to  attend  the  next  convention  to  be  held 
the  following  year  in  Toledo. 

On  August  12,  1915,  the  boys,  under  care  of 
Father  Hayes,  started  on  their  long  trip.  That  morn- 
ing they  received  Holy  Communion  in  a  body,  and 
in  the  afternoon,  playing  a  hymn  to  the  Mother  of 
Perpetual  Help,  they  marched  to  the  Church.  After 
a  visit  to  the  Blessed  Sacrament  the  alignment  was 
made,  and  the  boys  proceeded  to  Roxbury  Crossing, 
where  they  boarded  the  car  for  the  South  Station.  At 
4 :45  they  left  over  the  Boston  and  Albany  Line  for 
Buffalo.  Before  retiring  they  recited  the  Rosary  in 
common.  On  arriving  at  Buffalo  the  next  morning 
at  6:30  they  repaired  to  St.  Mary's  Church,  where 
they  heard  Mass  and  received  Holy  Communion. 
After  touring  the  city  and  seeing  Niagara  Falls  they 
left  by  boat  at  9:00  P.  M.  for  Toledo.  They  gave  a 
concert  in  the  saloon  in  honor  of  the  delegates,  es- 
pecially in  honor  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  McFaul  of 
Trenton,  "  The  Father  of  Federation."  Their  music 
was  highly  appreciated.  The  Bishop  made  an  ad- 
dress, in  which  he  congratulated  "  Boston,  its  Cardi- 


THE  MISSION  CHURCH  FIELD  BAND       453 

nal  Archbishop  and  the  parish  which  could  produce 
such  a  Band."  At  7:00  P.M.,  August  15,  the  boys 
arrived  at  Toledo.  Led  by  the  Band  the  delegates 
marched  to  the  Boody  House,  the  National  Head- 
quarters. A  little  later  the  Band  went  to  the  Union 
Station,  in  order  to  greet  the  Apostolic  Delegate, 
Archbishop  Bonzano.  His  Excellency  was  visibly 
affected  by  the  reception,  and  cordially  thanked  the 
young  musicians.  On  Sunday  morning  the  Band 
led  the  line  of  march  from  the  headquarters  to  the 
Cathedral.  At  7 :30  P.  M.,  the  boys  appeared  at  the 
Coliseum,  and  on  entering  the  vast  edifice  met  with 
loud  applause.  The  concert  they  gave  was  appre- 
ciated very  much,  and  at  the  close  of  the  mass-meet- 
ing they  played  the  accompaniment  to  the  hymn 
"Holy  God." 

In  August,  1916,  the  Band  went  with  the  Massa- 
chusetts delegation  to  the  National  Convention  of  the 
Catholic  Federation  in  New  York.  The  presence  of 
the  three  American  Cardinals  made  the  occasion  a 
truly  historic  one.  The  principal  address,  a  master- 
piece of  eloquence,  was  delivered  by  His  Eminence 
Cardinal  O'Connell.  As  he  rose  to  speak  the  entire 
delegation,  led  by  the  Mission  Church  Field  Band, 
sang  his  hymn,  "  The  Cross  and  the  Flag." 

Throughout  its  whole  history  the  Band  has  re- 
flected such  great  credit  on  the  parish  that  if  Father 
Hayes  had  never  done  anything  else  than  organize  it, 
his  name  would  be  immortal  in  the  annals  of  the 
church,  as  it  is  forever  enshrined  in  the  affections  of 
the  boys.  Even  though  three  years  have  elapsed  since 
he  severed  connections  with  the  church,  they  still 
cling  to  him,  and  whenever  opportunity  presents  it- 
self, never  fail  to  visit  him.  Some  of  the  original 
members,  now  married  men  nearing  middle  age,  de- 
light in  being  known  as  "  Father  Hayes's  Boys." 


THE  ALUMNI  ASSOCIATION. 

The  Alumni  Association  of  the  Mission  Church 
School  was  organized  in  1897  by  the  Rev.  John  J. 
Frawley,  C.  SS.  R.,  with  the  Rev.  Henry  Gareis, 
C.  SS.  R.,  as  Spiritual  Director,  and  Mr.  Henry  G. 
Cleary  as  president. 

"The  aim  and  object  of  the  organization  is  to 
strengthen  among  the  members  the  bonds  of  friend- 
ship formed  beneath  the  roof  of  their  Alma  Mater 
and  to  keep  alive  the  sacred  memories  of  the  happy 
days  spent  within  its  hallowed  precincts.  This  end  is 
to  be  attained  by  annual  reunions  and  frequent  meet- 
ings." 

The  first  of  these  annual  reunions,  held  July  6, 
1898,  was  marked  by  a  very  pleasant  entertainment, 
including  an  eloquent  speech  by  Father  Frawley.  At 
every  such  gathering  since  then  about  700  members 
have  been  present,  some  coming  even  from  distant 
cities  to  honor  the  occasion. 

The  greatest  event  in  the  history  of  the  Association 
was  the  celebration  of  the  silver  anniversary  of  the 
school,  which  was  observed  in  November,  1914.  On 
Sunday,  the  15th,  Solemn  Mass  of  Thanksgiving  was 
celebrated  by  the  Rev.  Father  Rector  Hayes,  assisted 
by  the  Rev.  Charles  Hoff,  C.  SS.  R.,  as  deacon,  and 
the  Rev.  James  Lynch,  C.  SS.  R.,  as  subdeacon. 
The  preacher,  the  Rev.  Father  Frawley,  briefly  re- 
viewed the  history  of  the  school  and  paid  a  well-de- 
served tribute  to  the  deceased  founder,  the  Rev. 


THE  ALUMNI  ASSOCIATION  455 

Augustine  Mclnerney,  C.  SS.  R.,  and  to  the  noble 
pioneer  staff  of  teachers.  The  Alumni  appeared  in 
splendid  numbers  at  the  Mass  and  entered  with  un- 
bounded enthusiasm  into  the  spirit  and  purpose  of  the 
commemorative  exercises.  The  Rev.  Henry  Gareis 
came  from  Ilchester,  Maryland,  in  order  to  take  part 
in  the  festivities. 

The  following  evening,  the  17th  annual  reunion, 
silver-tipped  in  scope  and  character,  brought  the  cele- 
bration to  a  brilliant  close.  At  the  reception,  which 
took  place  in  St.  Alphonsus'  Hall  at  8 :00  P.M.,  near- 
ly a  thousand  members  were  present.  The  appearance 
of  the  Rev.  Father  Gareis  and  of  Sister  Thomasine 
(Superior  of  the  school  from  1900-1904)  was  a  source 
of  unfeigned  delight  to  the  happy  company.  After 
the  reception  a  brief  comedy,  entitled,  "  The  Wayside 
Inn,"  was  rendered  by  the  Dramatic  Committee. 
Thereupon  followed  an  address  of  welcome  by  the 
President,  Mr.  John  J.  Sullivan.  Father  Rector 
Hayes  then  made  a  beautiful  speech,  at  the  close  of 
which  he  read  several  letters  of  congratulation  from 
the  original  staff  of  teachers,  in  which  they  expressed 
regret  at  their  inability  to  be  present,  and  offered  best 
wishes  to  the  Alumni.  Father  Frawley  felicitated  the 
organization  on  the  success  it  had  achieved,  and 
Father  Gareis  indulged  in  a  vein  of  pleasant  reminis- 
cences. The  Alumni  and  their  guests  then  repaired 
to  the  school  hall,  where  an  elaborate  supper  was 
served  by  the  caterer,  Mr.  John  Gouldin.  The  last 
number  on  the  program  was  a  reel  of-  motion-pictures 
portraying  the  lighter  side  of  life.  The  Reunion  of 
1914  was  an  event  of  triumph  and  an  occasion  of 
rededication  to  the  high  ideals  for  which  the  school 
and  the  Alumni  Association  stand. 

The  Alumni  glory  in  the  fact  that  on  their  roster 
glisten  the  names  of  26  priests,  20  Redemptorist 


seminarians,  100  nuns,  and  hundreds  of  good  fathers 
and  mothers  who  have  transmitted  to  their  children 
the  precious  heritage  of  a  truly  Christian  life,  the 
cardinal  principles  of  which  they  learned  in  happy 
school  days  at  the  feet  of  their  devoted  teachers. 

From  a  material  standpoint  also,  the  Alumni  have 
done  their  full  duty  by  the  church.  By  their  frequent 
entertainments,  their  whist  parties,  and  their  active 
cooperation  in  the  various  fairs  that  have  been  held 
from  time  to  time,  they  have  rendered  notable 
financial  assistance.  Whenever  help  was  needed,  they 
have  stepped  forward  in  solid  phalanx,  and  in  glori- 
ous unanimity,  have  aided  the  cause  with  head  and 
hand  and  heart. 

By  their  patriotic  activities  during  the  Great  War, 
they  have  given  the  lie  to  the  base  and  baseless  accusa- 
tion that  parochial  schools  do  not  teach  love  of  coun- 
try. To  the  Red  Cross  Association  the  Alumni  gave, 
in  1917,  $825;  in  May,  1918,  $13,187.30;  at  Christ- 
mas, 1918,  $1,251,  making  a  total  of  $15,154.30.  To 
the  War  Savings  Drive  of  1918,  they  subscribed 
2,709  cash  pledges  with  a  value  of  $19,965.96.  But, 
best  of  all,  to  the  service  of  our  country  they  gave 
nearly  a  thousand  boys. 

In  almost  every  line  of  endeavor,  the  history  of  the 
Alumni  is  high-lighted  with  substantial  victories  for 
parochial  school  education. 

The  former  spiritual  directors  of  the  Association 
have  been: 

The  Rev.  Henry  Gareis,  C.  SS.  R (1897-1910) 

The  Rev.  William  V.  Knell,  C.  SS.  R (1910-1915) 

The  Rev.  James  J.  Lynch,  C.  SS.  R (1915-1920) 

The  Rev.  John   Shaughnessy (1920-1921 ) 

The  present  officers  are : 


THE  ALUMNI  ASSOCIATION  457 

The  Rev.  President,  William  B.  Kenna,  C.  SS.  R.  (Rector) 

President John  Casey 

Vice-President Sadie  Cordingley 

Secretary Jennie  Dooley 

Treasurer James  Sullivan 

Board  of  Government: 

John  Downey  Lucy  McKenzie 

John  Counihan  Lillian  Clark 

Frank  McGeough  Mary  Gorman 

James  Shannon  Mary  Conway 

Patrick  Colleran  Katherine  Keane 


The  Guild  of  Our  Lady. 

We  have  noted  the  growth  of  various  activities  in 
the  parish  tending  towards  the  advancement  —  social 
and  intellectual — of  the  classes  of  the  community 
especially  interested.  The  school  had  its  Alumni 
Association;  the  working  boys  were  organized  into  a 
strong  corps,  with  a  band  noted  throughout  New 
England  for  the  skill  and  the  gentlemanly  conduct 
of  the  members ;  the  young  men  were  in  possession  of 
a  newly  built  club-house,  a  magnificent  tribute  to  St. 
Alphonsus,  under  whose  patronage  the  Association 
grew  in  strength  and,  numbers. 

It  would  seem  that  every  need  of  the  community 
had  been  met,  but,  reviewing  the  works  he  had  reared, 
the  Very  Reverend  John  J.  Frawley,  C.  SS.R.,  then 
the  spiritual  head  of  the  Mission  Church  parish,  was 
not  satisfied.  He  said  there  was  yet  one  division  of 
his  people  for  whom  nothing  special  had  been  done, 
though  they  had  worked  for  all  the  others  to  assure 
their  success.  Calling  together  the  women  and  the 
girls  of  the  parish,  the  Rev.  Father  Rector  outlined 
his  plans  for  their  benefit.  He  proposed  to  found  an 
association  that  would  afford  social  enjoyment,  while 
having  as  its  chief  aim  the  providing  of  educational 
facilities  —  literary,  musical  and  industrial.  The 
project  was  warmly  approved,  and  plans  for  the 
development  of  the  work  went  forward  rapidly. 

The  following  officers  and  directors  were  appointed 
by  the  reverend  founder: 


THE  GUILD  OF  OUR  LADY  459 

Very  Rev.  John  J.  Frawley,  C.  SS.  R..  .Honorary  President 

Rev.  Henry  Mohan,  C.  SS.  R Spiritual  Director 

Miss  Mary  B.   O'Sullivan President 

Miss  Rose  V.   Collier V ice-President 

Miss  Mary  E.  Kelley Treasurer 

Miss  Louise   Lyons Secretary 

Directors 

Misses  Margaret  C.  Brawley,  Mary  Crosby,  Annie  Cullen, 
Agnes  G.  Daley,  Katherine  Dowling,  Sabina  Egan, 
Mary  Garritty,  Mary  Gormley,  Delia  Killion,  Annie 
McCarthy,  Charlotte  McKenney,  Katherine  McKenzie, 
Margaret  Whalen,  Ellen  Whelton. 

With  a  few  exceptions,  these  ladies  formed  the 
official  staff  during  the  period  of  the  Guild's  exist- 
ence. After  a  two-year  term  Miss  O'Sullivan  was 
succeeded  by  Miss  Killion  as  president;  Miss 
McKenzie  assumed  charge  when  Miss  Killion  retired. 
Miss  KcKenney  succeeded  Miss  Collier  in  the  vice- 
presidency  and  Miss  Brawley  was  appointed  secre- 
tary, succeeding  Miss  Lyons. 

So  many  associations  were  already  in  operation 
that  the  question  of  a  name  for  the  new  organization 
was  a  problem  —  happily  solved  by  dedicating  it  to 
the  Exemplar  of  Catholic  womanhood,  and  thus 
"  The  Guild  of  Our  Lady  "  took  its  place  in  the  life 
of  the  parish. 

The  large  brick  building  on  St.  Alphonsus  Street, 
that  had  served  as  a  temporary  rectory,  was  con- 
verted speedily  into  the  handsomest,  most  finely 
appointed  club-house  for  Catholic  women  in  the 
States.  The  informal  opening,  January  13,  1904,  is 
still  remembered  as  one  of  the  most  enjoyable  social 
affairs  ever  held  in  the  parish. 

Nothing  that  could  add  to  the  attractive  and  practi- 
cal usefulness  of  the  Guild  had  been  omitted  — 
thanks  to  the  energy  and  great-hearted  generosity  of 


460       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

the  reverend  founder.  There  were  beautifully  fur- 
nished reception-rooms,  a  well  stocked  library,  class- 
rooms, tea-room  for  small  social  gatherings,  a  spa- 
cious assembly-hall,  fully  equipped  gymnasium,  and 
a  kitchen  that  figured  largely  in  winning  for  the 
Guild  a  reputation  for  hospitality.  The  spiritual 
influence  of  such  an  ideal  community  center  was  sug- 
gested on  every  side,  from  the  statue  of  Our  Lady 
greeting  each  comer  to  the  pictures  adorning  the 
walls,  and  the  blessing  of  the  Holy  Father  on  the 
members  and  their  work.  The  motto  of  the  Guild: 
"  Serve  God  and  be  cheerful "  was  carried  out  practi- 
cally in  a  spirit  of  helpfulness  and  unity  among  the 
members. 

The  membership  roll  included  representatives  of 
almost  every  craft  and  profession  open  to  women. 
There  was  an  abundance  of  talent,  always  cheerfully 
placed  at  the  service  of  the  Guild  when  the  need  arose. 
We  wish  that  space  would  permit  individual  mention 
cf  the  volunteer  teachers  and  other  members  whose 
work  produced  splendid  results,  ably  supplementing 
the  paid  staff  of  instructors. 

Classes  were  opened  in  music,  singing,  elocution, 
French,  dressmaking,  millinery  and  embroidery;  a 
reading  circle  met  weekly  and  lecture  courses,  free  to 
members  and  their  friends,  attracted  large  numbers. 

Among  the  distinguished  speakers  who  addressed 
the  Guild  were  the  Very  Rev.  William  G.  Luecking, 
C.  SS.R.,  then  Superior  of  the  Baltimore  Province, 
the  Very  Rev.  Francis  Clement  Kelley,  head  of  the 
Extension  Movement,  the  Rev.  Michael  Scanlon,  the 
Rev.  Hugh  F.  Blunt,  Seamus  McManus,  the  Hon. 
Joseph  Sheehan,  the  Hon.  Thomas  Dowd,  Miss 
Katherine  Conway,  Miss  Mary  C.  Mellyn,  Miss 
Mary  Catherine  Crowley,  Miss  Anna  Seaton 
Schmidt. 


THE  GUILD  OF  OUR  LADY  461 

With  the  purely  intellectual  features  of  the  Guild 
there  were  blended  the  social  and  recreational.  Whist 
parties,  original  dramas,  concerts,  guest-nights  and 
other  pleasurable  gatherings,  helped  to  make  the 
Guild  a  very  busy  and  happy  community  center. 

Too  much  cannot  be  said  in  praise  of  Father 
Mohan's  work  for  the  Guild  during  the  brief  time  he 
remained  in  charge.  In  the  midst  of  his  activities  he 
was  summoned  to  another  field  of  labor,  and  the  Rev. 
A.  J.  Duke,  C.  SS.  R.,  succeeded  him.  Dur- 
ing his  term  of  office,  Father  Duke  developed  not 
only  a  marked  capacity  for  financial  administration, 
but  also  a  fine  talent  as  a  lecturer  on  Sacred  Art.  His 
lectures  filled  the  assembly-hall  throughout  the 
course. 

We  have  referred  before  to  the  spirit  of  unity 
among  the  members  of  the  Guild  that  contributed  so 
materially  to  the  success  of  the  work,  but  more  than 
all  and  above  all  other  factors  was  the  inspiration  of 
Father  Frawley's  presence  —  the  encouragement  he 
was  ever  ready  to  give.  It  is  a  pleasant  memory  to 
recall  the  quick,  glad  welcome  that  greeted  his 
entrance  when,  after  a  day  of  arduous  effort,  Father 
Rector  dropped  into  the  Guild  to  see  how  everything 
was  going  on.  Passing  from  room  to  room,  he  had 
a  cheery  word  for  all,  or  a  witty  comment  that  made 
even  the  official  staff  forget  their  difficulties.  Often 
the  Reading  Circle  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing 
Father  Frawley  speak,  or  read  from  a  favorite 
author.  Another  evening  the  elocution  class  or  the 
mandolin  club  would  claim  his  attention  or  the  sew- 
ing classes  would  proudly  exhibit  their  skill.  Every- 
one was  sure  of  his  interest.  One  memorable  evening 
the  beloved  founder  made  his  accustomed  round  of 
the  classes,  leaving,  as  usual,  courage  and  happiness 
in  the  hearts  of  all.  The  next  evening :  "  Father  Rec- 


462       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

tor  is  gone!"  was  the  explanation  of  the  gloom  that, 
for  once,  had  settled  on  the  Guild. 

Following  the  example  of  his  predecessor,  Father 
Hayes  gave  generous  support  to  the  Guild  interests, 
leaving  no  means  untried  to  promote  its  welfare. 
When  Father  Duke  was  appointed  Rector  of  St. 
Peter's  Church,  St.  John,  N.  B.,  Father  Hayes 
designated  Father  Kenzel,  and  later  Father  Hoff ,  to 
take  charge  of  the  Guild.  Both  put  devoted  effort 
into  the  work;  but  a  problem  gravely  affecting  the 
future  of  the  Guild  had  arisen  in  the  parish. 

The  school  building  on  Smith  Street  had  become 
overcrowded.  Many  more  pupils  were  asking  for 
admission.  How  to  accommodate  them  became  a  seri- 
ous problem.  The  Guild  offered  the  only  solution. 
The  third  floor  of  the  building  was  already  occupied 
by  primary  classes.  "More  room"  was  still  the 
urgent  demand.  The  children  must  be  provided  for. 
The  Guild  was  not  a  necessity.  The  governing  board 
met  the  issue  squarely.  First  one  room,  then  another 
was  yielded  up,  until  at  last  the  entire  building  was 
converted  to  school  purposes.  The  Guild  as  a  dis- 
tinct body  ceased  to  exist,  but  its  influence  on  the 
social  life  of  the  parish  endures  in  the  many  friend- 
ships formed  in  its  genial  atmosphere.  In  another 
way,  the  beautiful  club-house  is  carrying  out  the  aim 
of  its  founder,  who  built  deep  and  strong  the  founda- 
tions of  Christian  education  under  the  patronage  of 
Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help. 


The  Mission  Church  Choir 

"Like  an  image  on  the  waters,  which  is  ever  the 
same,  though  the  waters  ever  flow,"  the  Choir, 
through  its  many  changes  of  leadership  and  of  mem- 
bership, has  always  rendered  generous  and  noble 
service.  At  every  period  of  the  church's  existence, 
the  organists  and  the  choir  members  have  contributed 
substantially  to  the  beauty  and  solemnity  of  Divine 
worship  and  have  made  the  sacred  music  what  the 
Church  intends  it  to  be  —  an  instrument  of  prayer 
and  pious  affection. 

In  the  past  the  following  ladies  and  gentlemen 
have  served  in  the  dual  capacity  of  organist  and  choir- 
director:  Dr.  Hart,  Dr.  Werner  (who  composed  a 
hymn  book),  Mr.  F.  N.  Seibold,  Miss  Mary  E. 
McGowan,  Mr.  E.  J.  Dooley,  Mr.  James  T. 
McLoughlin,  Mr.  Edward  McGoldrick,  Miss  Nellie 
McCarthy,  Mr.  Meisner,  Mr.  Thomas  Waterson, 
Mr.  A.  Bartschmitt,  Miss  Nellie  McCormack,  Mr. 
William  J.  Finn,  Mr.  O'Brien,  and  Mr.  Gannon, 
brother  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Gannon  of  Erie,  Pa. 

It  is  worthy  of  special  record  that  Mr.  W.  J.  Finn, 
now  the  Rev.  W.  J.  Finn,  C.  S.P.,  leader  of  the 
famous  Paulist  choristers,  organized  the  male  choir 
in  October,  1902,  under  the  direction  of  Father 
Frawley.  In  this  point  the  latter  anticipated  by  more 
than  a  year  the  law  of  Pope  Pius  X,  enacted  Nov- 
ember 22,  1903. 

The  Mission  Church  Choir,  as  at  present  consti- 


464       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

tuted,  was  organized  in  1910,  by  our  present  able  and 
experienced  organist,  Prof.  Frank  E.  Fassnacht,  who 
has  filled  the  position  for  twelve  years  —  longer  than 
any  other  in  the  history  of  the  church. 

The  Girls'  Choir  is  composed  of  about  50  pupils 
chosen  from  the  higher  grades  of  the  parochial 
school.  They  sing  regularly  at  the  Saturday  evening 
devotions  and  at  the  7  o'clock  Mass  on  Sunday.  Con- 
jointly with  the  adult  members  of  the  male  choir,  they 
render  on  Palm  and  on  Passion  Sunday  evenings 
"  The  Seven  Last  Words  "  by  Dubois,  and  "  Olivet 
to  Calvary"  by  Maunder.  On  these  occasions  the 
church  is  always  overcrowded,  and  common  report  has 
it  that  lovers  of  artistic  music  come  from  far  and 
near,  in  order  to  hear  the  rendering  of  the  sublime 
themes. 

The  principal  choir  of  the  church  is  made  up  of 
about  25  men  and  60  boys.  The  latter,  carefully 
chosen  from  the  school,  have  reached,  through  pains- 
taking and  persevering  efforts  on  the  part  of  Prof. 
Fassnacht,  as  high  a  standard  as  any  other  boy  choir 
in  Boston.  This  proficiency  involves  daily  laborious 
practice,  but  the  fruits  of  the  grinding  toil  are  mani- 
fest in  a  beautiful  execution  of  some  of  the  most  diffi- 
cult Masses  and  other  sacred  productions  in  the  cata- 
logue of  Church  Music. 

Speaking  of  one  of  the  notable  achievements  of  the 
choir,  the  Pilot  for  June  22,  1912,  said: 

"The  choirs  of  the  Mission  Church  gave  an  unusually 
good  recital  of  church  music  on  Sunday  evening  last.  Under 
the  able  direction  of  the  organist,  F.  E.  Fassnacht,  the 
numbers  were  rendered  with  splendid  effect.  The  tone  qual- 
ity of  the  boy  sopranos  was  of  the  purest  quality,  more 
especially  in  the  high  register.  The  rendition  of  the  vesper 
psalms  in  false  bordoni  style  by  the  entire  choir  was  in 
accordance  with  the  spirit  of  present  requirements  in  ves- 
per music.  Mr.  Fassnacht's  two  selections  on  the  magni- 


THE  MISSION  CHURCH  CHOIR 


465 


ficent  organ  were  very  happily  chosen  and  played  with 
great  ease  and  skill.  The  introduction  of  the  girls'  chorus 
was  a  most  agreeable  feature  of  the  evening's  program." 

The  adult  members  of  the  male  choir  are : 


Frank  O'Meara 
Thomas  H.  F.  Murphy 
Thomas  Rafters 
Edward  B.  Manning 
Michael  Bradley 
Arthur  Murphy 
J.  J.  Rochefort 
Joseph  J.  Gormley 
Joseph  Graber 
Thomas  Lannon 
Joseph  Lannon 

Philip 


Edmund  Devlin 
Joseph  M.  Weidmann 
Thomas  A.  Scanlan,  Jr. 
Thomas  W.  Ken- 
John  McGrath 
Patrick  A.  Cronin 
Joseph  Mulvey 
Joseph  Walsh 
F.  L.  Fassnacht 
Joseph  Dillon 
Daniel  Prendergast 
Wallace 


Members  of  the  Girls'  Choir : 


Eileen  Ahern 
Rose  Barrett 
Esther  Buchanan 
Catherine  Buckley 
Edna  Buttimer 
Mary  Coyne 
Helen  Colleran 
Mary  Duggan 
Lillian  Ferriter 
Mae  Fallon 
Margaret  Fallon 
Josephine  Gorman 
Constance  Grant 
Catherine  Hagerty 
Helen  Lorden 
Helen  McCarthy 
Florence  McNichols 
Julia  McGillicuddy 
Mary  Manning 
Elsie  Phinn 
Margaret  O'Leary 
Paulene  Shea 


Mary  Barrett 
Mary  Bowen 
Anna  Brannen 
Helena  Burke 
Kathleen  Cleary 
Elizabeth  Cooney 
Margaret  Desmond 
Catherine  Downey 
Frances  Fassnacht 
Laura  Fallon 
Mary  Flannery 
Teresa  Goetten 
Mary  Hughes 
Helen  Hub  an 
Helen  Leonard 
Elizabeth  Murray 
Mary  McGillicuddy 
Mary  McDonald 
Loretta  Phinn 
Catherine  Pierce 
Mary  Sullivan 
Catherine  Somers 


466       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Mary  Stone  Teresa   Sullivan 

Madeline  Wing  Lillian  Wing 

Gertrude  Whelan  Mary  Welsh 

Mary  Hallisey 

May  the  great  St.  Cecilia  obtain  for  Prof.  Fass- 
nacht  and  all  the  members  of  the  choir  God's  best 
blessings ! 


The  Ushers. 

The  ushers,  28  in  number,  work  in  two  sections.  In 
their  operations  they  alternate  between  the  upper 
church  and  St.  Gerard's  Chapel.  Every  member  of 
both  divisions  is  on  duty  every  Sunday  throughout 
the  year.  To  handle  such  large  crowds  as  frequent 
the  church  requires  tact,  intelligence,  and  great 
patience.  The  ushers,  past  and  present,  have  uni- 
formly shown  themselves  so  firm,  yet  so  considerate 
and  courteous  in  the  discharge  of  their  duties  as  to 
merit  the  gratitude  of  both  priests  and  people. 

The  personnel  of  the  two  corps  of  ushers  is  as 
follows : 

William  O'Regan  Cornelius  Mahoney 

Patrick  Daley  John  F.  Downey 

Patrick  Murphy  John  J.  Connell 

Dennis  McGowan  Thomas  Tobin 

Jeremiah  Murphy  Ambrose  Woods 

Nicholas  Hayden  Henry  Rochefort 

Bernard  Colleran  Patrick  Finan 

John  Dillon  William  Volk 

Joseph  Walsh  Frank  Burke 

Dennis  Dooley  Aaron  Tapp 

John  E.  Kuhn  John  McKenzie 

Michael  Stone  Joseph  Dooley 

Charles  Nicholson  John  W.  Grady 

Patrick  Cotter  Michael  Flannigan 

May  Our  Blessed  Mother  reward  them  a  hundred- 
fold and  conduct  them  to  a;  high  place  in  the  eternal 
kingdom  of  Her  Son! 


SOME  PARISH  ACTIVITIES. 


Hospitals. 

The  following  hospitals,  all  of  which  are  located 
within  the  parish  limits,  are  attended  regularly  by 
the  Fathers : 

1.  Peter  Bent  Brigham  2.  Robert  Bent  Brigham 

3.  Good  Samaritan  4.  Women's  Massachusetts 

5.  Elks'  6.  Baptist 

7.  Cushing  8.  Children's 

9.  Infants'  10.  Psychopathic 

11.  Huntington  (Cancer) 

Of  these  hospitals  the  biggest  and  the  busiest  is 
the  Peter  Bent  Brigham.  Every  day,  except  Sunday, 
the  Father  in  charge  spends  practically  the  whole 
morning  there. 

The  number  of  hospitals  in  the  parish  is  so  large, 
because  in  it  is  situated  the  best  site  in  the  city  for 
such  institutions,  the  summit  of  Parker  Hill;  and 
also  because  the  Harvard  Medical  School,  round 
which  the  hospitals  wish  to  center,  is  within  our  limits. 

'  Confessions  of  Nuns. 

The  Fathers  serve  as  ordinary  and  extraordinary 
confessors  to  the  three  following  religious  institutes: 

School    Sisters"  of   Notre   Dame,    Smith   Street,   Roxbury 
(35  nuns). 


SOME  PARISH  ACTIVITIES  469 

Sisters   of   St.   Joseph,   St.   Thomas',   Jamaica   Plain    (20 

nuns). 
Sisters  of  St.  Francis,  St.  Elizabeth  Hospital,  Brighton, 

Mass.  (40  nuns). 

As  ordinary  confessors  only,  to  the  five  following: 

Roxbury  Academy,  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame  (67  nuns,  150 

pupils). 
House  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  Roxbury  (59  Sisters  of  the 

Good  Shepherd,  42  Magdalenes). 
St.  Regis  Convent,  Canton,  Mass.,  Sisters  of  St.   Joseph 

(24  professed  nuns,  35  novices). 
Discalced  Carmelite  Sisters,  Roxbury  (19  professed  nuns, 

3  novices). 
Sisters  of  Charity,  St.  Peter's,  Dorchester  (22  nuns). 

As  extraordinary  confessors  only,  to  the  six  fol- 
lowing : 

Sisters  of  St.  Joseph,  St.  Mary's,  Charlestown  (17  nuns). 

Sisters  of  St.  Dominic,  St.  Francis  De  Sales',  Charlestown 
(25  nuns). 

Sisters  of  St.  Joseph,  Mt.  St.  Joseph's  Academy,  Brighton, 
Mass.  (61  professed  nuns,  39  novices). 

Sisters  of  St.  Joseph,  Williams  Memorial  Church,  Framing- 
ham,  Mass.  (5  nuns). 

Sisters  of  St.  Joseph,  Immaculate  Conception  Convent, 
Stoughton,  Mass.  (8  nuns). 

Sisters  of  St.  Joseph,  Boston  School  for  the  Deaf,  Randolph, 
Mass.  (32  nuns). 

Masses  at  Convents. 

The  Fathers  say  Mass,  as  indicated,  at  the  follow- 
ing religious  houses : 

Sisters  of  Notre  Dame,  Roxbury  Academy — Daily. 

School  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame,  Smith  Street,  Roxbury — 

Daily  except  Sunday. 
Sisters  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  Roxbury — Sunday,  Monday, 

and  holy  days  of  obligation. 
Discalced  Carmelite  Nuns,  Roxbury — Daily. 


470      THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Sunday  Work. 
"  Bearing  the  burden  of  the  day  and  the  heats." 

The  following  schedules  will  give  the  reader  an  idea 
of  the  amount  of  work  done  by  the  Fathers  at  home 
and  abroad  on  Sunday.  The  first  Sunday  of  Feb- 
ruary and  the  first  Sunday  of  August  are  offered  as 
specimens.  They  were  drawn  by  lot,  not  designedly 
selected. 

SEPTUAGESIMA  SUNDAY,  FEBRUARY  1,  1920. 

Masses  at  Home  Sermons 

5 :30 — Very  Rev.  Father  Rector         Rev.  Father  Dugal 
7 :00 — Rev.  Father  Gilhooly  Rev.  Father  Conway 

8 :00 — Rev.  Father  Mulheran  Very  Rev.  Father  Rec- 

tor 

8 :30— Rev.  Father  McDonnell  Rev.    Father   McDon- 

nell 

9 :00 — Rev.  Father  Mulheran  Very  Rev.  Father  Rec- 

tor 

10 :00— Rev.  Father  Dooper  Rev.  Father  Roche 

10:30— Rev.  Father  Lynch  (Chapel)  Rev.  Father  Lynch 
11 :30— Rev.  Father  Lynch  (Chapel)  Rev.  Father  Lynch 
11 :30 — Rev.  Father  Dooper  Rev.  Father  Roche 

Masses  Abroad. 

Good  Shepherd  Convent ....  Rev.  Father  Roche 

Notre  Dame  Convent Rev.  Father  McDonnell 

Carmelite    Convent Rev.  Father  Dugal 

St.  Benedict's,   Somerville.  .  Rev.  Father  Dugal  (10:30) 

St.  Aiden's,  Brookline Rev.  Father  Gilhooly  (9:00) 

St.  Aiden's,  Brookline Rev.  Father  Wheelwright 

(10:00  and  11:30) 


SOME  PARISH  ACTIVITIES  471 

Williams  Memorial  Church .  Rev.  Father  Gunning 

St.  Charles's,  Waltham Rev.  Father  Leddy 

St.  William's,  Dorchester.  .  Rev.  Father  Conway 

St.  Mary's  of  the  Angels.  .  Rev.  Father  Vollmer 

St.  Mark's,  Dorchester.  .  .  .  Rev.  Father  Schneider 

St.  Joseph's,   Taunton Rev.  Father  Treanor 

Wellington Rev.  Father  Shaughnessy 


Distribution  of  Holy  Communion. 

5:30 — Rev.  Fathers  McDonnell  and  Dugal. 

6:15 — (Convent),  Rev.  Father  Gilhooly. 

7:00 — Very  Rev.  Father  Rector,  and  Fathers  Mulheran, 

Conway,  and  Wheelwright. 
8:00 — Very    Rev.    Father    Rector,    and    Fathers    Lynch, 

Dooper,  and  Roche. 
8:30 — Fathers  Lynch  and  Roche. 
9:00 — Very    Rev.    Father    Rector,    and    Fathers    Lynch, 

Dooper,  and  Roche. 
10:00 — Rev.  Father  Roche. 


Benediction  of  ilie  Blessed  Sacrament. 

Good  Shepherd  Convent Rev.  Father  Roche 

Notre  Dame  Convent Rev.  Father  Wheelwright 

Notre  Dame  Academy Rev.  Father  Schneider 


TENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST,  AUG.  1,  1920. 

Masses  at  Home  Sermons 

5 :30 — Very  Rev.  Father  Rector  Rev.  Father  Dugal 

7 :00 — Rev.  Father  Tobin  Rev.  Father  McDonnell 

8 :00 — Rev.  Father  McCarthy  Rev.  Father  Vollmer 

8:30 — Rev.  Father  McDonnell  Rev.    Father    Shaugh- 
nessy 

9 :00 — Rev.  Father  Vollmer  Rev.  Father  Connell 

10:00 — Rev.  Father  Shaughnessy  Rev.  Father  Gilhooly 
10 :30 — Rev.  Father  Schneider 

(Chapel)  Rev.  Father  Mulheran 


472       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

11 :30 — Rev.  Father  Gunning 

(Chapel)  Rev.  Father  Mulheran 

11:30 — Rev.  Father  Lynch  Rev.  Father  Gilhooly 


Masses  Abroad. 

Good  Shepherd  Convent,  Roxbury .  Rev.  Father  Gilhooly 

Carmelite  Convent,  Roxbury Rev.  Father  Mulheran 

Hampton  Beach,  N.  H Rev.  Father  Sanderson 

Hampton  Beach,  N.  H Rev.  Father  Wheelwright 

Houghs  Neck,  Mass Rev.  Father  Conway 

St.  Peter's,  Cambridge Rev.  Father  Leddy 

Notre  Dame  Academy,  Roxbury .  .  Rev.  Father  Connell 

Kittery,    Maine Rev.  Father  Leonard 

Hyannis,    Mass Rev.  Father  Turner 

Wareham,    Mass Rev.  Father  Collins 

Danvers,    Mass Rev.  Father  Dugal 

St.  Joseph's,  East  Boston Rev.  Father  Roche 

Notre  Dame  Convent,  Roxbury .  .  .  Rev.  Father  Dooper 


Distribution  of  Holy  Communion. 

5:30 — Rev.  Fathers  Mulheran  and  Dugal. 

7:00 — Rev.  Fathers  Vollmer,  McDonnell,   Schneider,   and 
Shaughnessy. 

8:00 — Rev.    Fathers    Vollmer,    Gunning,    Schneider,    and 
Shaughnessy. 

8 :30 — Rev.  Fathers  Lynch  and  Gilhooly. 

9 :00 — Rev.  Fathers  Lynch,  McDonnell,  Gunning,  and  Mul- 
heran. 
10:00— Rev.  Father  Gilhooly. 


Benediction  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament. 

Good  Shepherd  Convent Rev.  Father  Schneider 

Notre  Dame  Academy Rev.  Father  Vollmer 

Notre  Dame  Convent Rev.  Father  Shaughnessey 

Note:  The  Rev.  Fathers  Leonard,  McCarthy,  Connell,  Sander- 
son and  Tobin  were  not  members  of  the  community,  but  guests 
who  kindly  volunteered  their  services. 


SOME  PARISH  ACTIVITIES  473 

LENTEN  SEBMONS 
1920. 

Sunday 

St.  Joseph's,  Maplewood,  Mass. . .  Rev.  Father  Vollmer 
St.     Francis',    South    Weymouth, 

Mass Rev.  Father  Leddy 

Sacred  Heart,  West  Lynn,  Mass.. Rev.  Father  Gunning 
Mission     Church      (St.     Gerard's 

Chapel)     Rev.  Father  Mulheran 

Mission  Church  (Upper  Church)  .  Very  Rev.  Father  Rector 

Tuesday 

Sacred  Heart,  Fall  River,  Mass. .  .  Rev.  Father  Mulheran 

St.  John's,  Concord,  N.  H Rev.  Father  Gunning 

St.  Charles's,  Woonsocket,  R,  I. .  .  Rev.  Father  Gilhooly 

St.  Joseph's,  Laconia,  N.  H Rev.  Father  Wheelwright 

Sacred  Heart,  So.  Natick,  Mass. .  .  Rev.  Father  Leddy 

Wednesday 

Immaculate  Conception,  Ports- 
mouth, N.  H Rev.  Father  Wheelwright 

St.  Monica's,  South  Boston Rev.  Father  McDonnell 

St.  Michael's,  Avon,  Mass Rev.  Father  Shaughnessy 

Our  Lady,  Help  of  Christians, 

Newton,  Mass Rev.  Father  Lynch 

Blessed  Sacrament,  Providence, 

R.  I Rev.  Father  Gilhooly 

Manchester  Cathedral,  N.  H Rev.  Father  Gunning 

Friday 

St.  Matthew's,  Dorchester,  Mass. .  .  Rev.  Father  Vollmer 
Sacred     Heart,     Newton     Center, 

Mass Rev.  Father  Gunning 

Good  Friday 

Sacred  Heart,  Fall  River,  Mass. .  .  Rev.  Father  Turner 
Sacred  Heart,  South  Natick,  Mass .  Rev.  Father  Leddy 


474       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

St.  Monica's,  South  Boston Rev.  Father  McDonnell 

St.  Michael's,  Avon,  Mass Rev.  Father  Wheelwright 

Our    Lady,    Help    of    Christians, 

Newton,  Mass Rev.  Father  Lynch 

St.  Joseph's,  Maplewood,  Mass .  .  .  Rev.  Father  Vollmer 
St.  Francis',  So.  Weyraouth,  Mass. .  Rev.  Father  Conway 

Manchester  Cathedral,  N.  H Rev.  Father  Gunning 

St.  John's,  Concord,  N.  H Rev.  Father  Treanor 

Blessed      Sacrament,      Providence, 

R.  I Rev.  Father  Gilhooly 

Mission  Church Rev.  Father  Shaughnessy 

Immaculate      Conception,      Ports- 
mouth, N.  H Rev.  Father  Dugal 


PARISH  STATISTICS. 

Number  of  Baptisms  (April  8, 1883-Dec.  31, 1920)      12,517 
Number  of  Converts  (April  8, 1883-Dec.  31, 1920)        1,121 

Number   of   Marriages    (April   8,    1883-Dec.   31, 

1920)   2,181 

Number  of  First  Communions  (April  8,  1883-Dec. 

31,  1920) 9,964 

Total  Number  of  Communions  (Jan.  29,  1871 -Dec. 

31,  1920) 6,822,000 


OUE  BLESSED  MOTHER'S  OWN. 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  passages  in  the  whole 
range  of  Sacred  Scripture  is  that  which  describes  the 
call  of  the  Apostles  by  the  lakeside.  The  morning 
light  had  broken  bright  and  clear  over  the  shifting 
and  shimmering  waters  of  the  Lake  of  Genesareth 
when  Christ,  "  like  a  vision  of  glory,"  appeared  on  the 
glistening  shore,  and  called  His  disciples,  first  one, 
then  another,  to  the  sublime  task  of  following  in  His 
footsteps;  and  in  the  simple,  yet  sublime  words  of 
the  Evangelist,  "leaving  all  things  they  followed 
Him." 

In  substance  and  in  main  outline,  that  touching 
scene  has  been  reenacted  hundreds  of  times  over  in 
the  lives  of  the  children  of  the  Mission  Church.  At 
the  call  of  the  same  loving  Saviour,  they,  too,  have 
gone  forth,  most  of  them  in  mere  childhood,  to  tread 
the  path  marked  out  by  Him,  who  when  His  hour  had 
come,  bade  a  fond  adieu  to  His  Blessed  Mother,  and 
left  the  sacred  retreat  of  Nazareth,  in  order  to  begin 
the  work  appointed  unto  Him  by  His  heavenly 
Father.  Now,  it  was  the  little  altar-boy,  just  out  of 
school,  who  heard  the  loving  invitation,  and  who,  in 
joy  of  spirit,  answered,  "Behold!  here  I  am;  send 
me."  Again,  it  was  some  beautiful  girl,  with  "the 
royal  heart  of  innocence,"  who  casting  aside  the 
alluring  prospects  which  the  world  held  out  to  her, 
exclaimed :  "  The  kingdom  of  the  world  and  all  orna- 
ments of  the  earth  I  have  despised  for  the  love  of 
Jesus  Christ;  whom  I  have  seen,  whom  I  have  loved, 


OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER'S  OWN  477 

in  whom  I  have  believed,  towards  whom  my  heart  in- 
clined," and  —  the  farewells  were  spoken  with 
exemplary  resignation. 

Years  of  anxious  care  and  worry  for  the  parents 
roll  by;  but  at  last  the  scene  shifts  to  one  of  radiant 
glory.  In  some  distant  chapel,  a  mitred  figure  act- 
ing in  the  plenitude  of  the  priesthood,  imposes  conse- 
crated hands  on  the  head  of  the  young  Levite,  and 
the  little  altar-boy  of  former  days,  becomes  a  priest 
forever  according  to  the  order  of  Melchisedech;  or  a 
fervent  novice,  trained  in  the  principles  of  the  religi- 
ous life,  as  Gamaliel  was  trained  by  St.  Paul,  kneels 
before  the  altar  of  the  Most  High  God,  and  in  falter- 
ing accents  pronounces  the  holy  vows  which  bind  her 
forever  to  the  service  of  her  Crucified  Spouse. 

One  of  the  strongest  proofs  that  a  parish  has  been 
blessed  by  God  is  to  be  found  in  the  number  of  her 
children  who  have  been  enrolled  in  the  ranks  of  the 
priesthood,  or  who  have  embraced  the  religious  life. 
Proceeding  on  that  principle,  we  are  surely  justified 
in  asserting  that  in  this,  as  in  other  points,  Almighty 
God  out  of  love  for  His  Holy  Mother  has  singularly 
favored  the  Mission  Church  Parish.  To  Our  Lady  of 
Perpetual  Help,  under  God,  we  must  ascribe  the 
extraordinary  number  of  vocations  to  the  priesthood 
and  to  the  religious  life  which  the  parish  has  fostered. 
It  is  the  sacred  influence  going  forth  from  the  Shrine 
of  Our  Blessed  Mother  that  enlightens  the  minds  and 
moves  the  hearts  of  so  many  of  our  boys  and  of  our 
girls  to  devote  their  lives  to  the  service  of  God  as 
priests  or  religious.  To  Her,  therefore,  be  the  honor 
and  glory  which  arises  from  the  splendid  showing 
which  the  Mission  Church  Parish  has  made  in  this 
respect. 

In  drawing  up  the  tables  of  priests  and  of  religious 
which  follow,  we  have  been  careful  not  to  make  larger 
claims  than  we  can  substantiate,  and  have,  therefore, 


478       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

omitted  the  names  of  about  forty  Redemptorists, 
priests  and  seminarians,  who  owe  their  vocation, 
humanly  speaking,  to  the  influence  exercised  by  the 
Mission  Church,  but  who  were  not  members  of  the 
parish.  In  the  case  of  female  religious,  in  order  to 
make  assurance  doubly  sure,  we  wrote  to  the  Supe- 
riors of  the  different  orders  requesting  them  kindly 
to  send  us  the  names  of  their  subjects  who  belonged 
to  the  Mission  Church  Parish.  If  in  spite  of  this  pre- 
caution, the  names  of  some  who  were  not  from  the 
parish  appear  here,  our  defense  is  that  we  felt  justi- 
fied in  publishing  every  name  contained  in  a  list  sent 
to  us  as  official  by  the  competent  authorities. 


REDEMPTORIST  PRIESTS 


Rev. 
*Rev. 

Rev. 

Rev. 

Rev. 

Rev. 
*Rev. 

Rev. 

Rev. 

Rev. 

Rev. 

Rev. 

Rev. 

Rev. 

Rev. 

Rev. 
*Rev. 
*Rev. 

Rev. 

Rev. 

Rev. 

Rev. 

Rev. 

*Dead. 


John  J.  Frawley 
Joseph  Cunningham 
Michael  J.  Sheehan 
Peter  Doyle 
Martin  Mulligan 
Charles  Nolen 
James  Doyle 
Richard  O'Regan 
Cornelius  Warren 
Joseph  Krickser 
John  Toohey 
John  O'Leary 
John  O'Regan 
Stephen  Ahern 
Edward  Holland 
James  Lynch 
John  Phinn 
Henry  Murphy 
Joseph  Murphy 
Francis  Murray 
Charles  Crowe 
Patrick  McGowan 
George  Conway 


Rev.  Paul  Dugal 
*Rev.  Victor  Burns 
Rev.  Patrick  J.  Downey 
Rev.  Richard  Keenan 
Rev.  John  Hegarty 
Rev.  William   C.   McCarthy 
Rev.  John  Shaughnessy 
Rev.  Thomas  Tobin 
Rev.  John  Murphy 
Rev.  Joseph  Lorden 
Rev.  John  Waldron 
Rev.  John  Sephton 
Rev.  George  Acres 
Rev.  John  R.  O'Brien 
Rev.  Francis  Neville 
Rev.  Thomas  Lapsley 
Rev.  John  Prendergast 
Rev.  Nicholas  Hayden 
Rev.  Thomas  Cronin 
Rev.  Francis  Walsh 
Rev.  Joseph  Daley 
Rev.  Joseph  Fitzsimmons 
Rev.  Albert  Waible 


Rev.  John  O'Keefe 


OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER'S  OWN  479 


SECULAK  PRIESTS 

Rev.  Francis  Cunningham     *Rev.  John  W.  F.  Power 
Rev.  George  A.  Crimmen         Rev.  Ambrose  Walker 
Rev.  Walter  Mitchell  Rev.  Patrick  Scannell 

Rev.  Thomas  O'Dowd  Rev.  Robert  J.  Manning 

Rev.  J.  Walter  Lambert         Rev.  John  O'Connor 
Rev.  William  O'Connor 

JESUIT  FATHEES 
Rev.  Aloysius  M.  Thibbitts 

FRANCISCAN  FATHERS 
Rev.  Paul  Neville 

PASSIONIST  FATHERS 
Rev.  Father  Gregory  (Edward  Donohue) 

REDEMPTORIST  SEMINARIANS 

*Timothy  Sheehan  Thomas  Sullivan 

*John  Burns  Jeremiah  Scannell 

*  Joseph  DeCoste  Jeremiah  Hurley 

*Edward  Sephton  Edmund  Bowen 

Geoffrey  Stone  Matthew  Tobin 

William  Stanton  Edmund  Murphy 

Timothy  Cronin  Eugene  McGillicuddy 

Joseph  Driscoll  Peter  Hines 

Walter  Reilly  James  Gilmore 

Henry  Goetten  Thomas  Waldron 

William  Greene  John  F.  McCarthy 

Dennis  Scannell  James  T.  Connolly 

Joseph  Douglas  D.  Andrew  Rush 
William  Fitzgibbon 

JESUIT  SCHOLASTICS 

Daniel  Sullivan  Raymond  Sullivan 

Raymond  Mclnnis  John  Reed 

Paul  Conway  Russell  Sullivan 

John  Collins  Harold  Sullivan 
'Dead. 


480       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


VINCENTIAN  SEMINARIANS 

Gerard  Murphy  Edward  M.  Shannon 

James  J.  Salway 


PASSIONIST  SEMINARIANS 
Conf rater  Francis  (John  Shea) 

REDEMPTORIST  BROTHERS 

*Bro.  Alphonsus  Knaup  Bro.  Columba  Mahoney 

Bro.  Stanislaus  Murphy  Bro.  Vitus  Martin 

Bro.  Alban  Cuddihy  Bro.  Innocent  Carrol 

Bro.  Xavier  Heslan  Bro.  Matthew  Mikutovitch 

*Bro.  Timothy  Mahony  Bro.  Giles  Phelan 

*Bro.  Oswald  Fitzpatrick  Bro.  Majella  Reardon 

Bro.  Dominic  Haley  Bro.  Ferdinand  Conners 

Bro.  Philip  Doyle  Bro.  Mathias  Mathis 
Bro.  Francis  Leary 

BROTHERS  OF  CHARITY 
Brother  Telesphore  (Francis  J.  O'Hare) 

XAVERIAN  BROTHERS 
Brother  Harold  (John  O'Hare) 


SCHOOL  SISTERS  OF  NOTRE  DAME 

Sister  Mary  Dympnette  Norton 

Sister  Mary  Assumpta  Joyce 

Sister  Mary  Relindis  Lindermann 

Sister  Mary  Martin  Mulligan 

Sister  Mary  Grace  Sullivan 

•Dead. 


OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER'S  OWN  481 

Sister  Mary  Joanella  Driscoll 
Sister  Mary  Lucida  Dooley 
Sister  Mary  Coeline  Lyons 
Sister  Mary  Nola  Colahan 
Sister  Mary  Agatha  Burns 
Sister  Mary  Berchmanna  O'Regan 
Sister  Mary  Maurice  Flood 
Sister  Mary  Virginia  McElroy 
Sister  Mary  Theophane  Donovan 
Sister  Mary  Victor  Burns 
Sister  Mary  Paraclete  Mahan 
Sister  Mary  Gerardine  Hoban 
Sister  Mary  Michaeline  Power 
Sister  Mary  Timothea  O'Brien 
Sister  Mary  Harriet  Callahan 
Sister  Mary  Kevin  Lyons 
Sister  Mary  Regis  Garrity 
Sister  Mary  Theonilla  McDonald 
Sister  Mary  Eduardo  Hayes 
Sister  Mary  Vebantia  McNeil 
Sister  Mary  Denise  Dooley 
Sister  Mary  Martina  Martin 
Sister  Mary  Harold  Sheerin 
Sister  Mary  Sperta  Colleran 
Sister  Mary  Isidora  Condon 
Sister  Mary  Basilides  White 
Sister  Mary  Bertran  Conroy 
Sister  Mary  Leon  Walter 
Sister  Mary  Memoria  Hearn 
Sister  Mary  Brendan  Burns 
Sister  Mary  Lazarine  Ginnety 
Sister  Mary  Serenus  Ryan 
Sister  IV^ary  Maud  Lorden 
Sister  Mary  Febronia  Kelly 
Sister  Mary  Hilaire  O'Connor 
Sister  Mary  Theresa  Cunningham 
Sister  Mary  Blase  Donovan 
Sister  Mary  Venantia  Hickey 
Sister  Mary  Alma  McNichols 
Sister  Mary  Gratia  Ennis 
Sister  Mary  Fintan  Callaghan 
Sister  Mary  Fides  Willis 


482       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Sister  Mary  Eudoxia  Normile 
Sister  Mary  Valentine  McCarthy 
Sister  Mary  Alma  Brennan 
Sister  Mary  Theophanes  Gray 
Sister  Mary  Alphonsetta  Gormley 
Sister  Mary  Illidia  Cunane 
Sister  Mary  Allowine  Mahan 
Sister  Mary  Myra  McHugh 
Sister  Mary  Erharda  Sommer 
Sister  Mary  Euphebia  Dodds 
Sister  Mary  Ethelbert  Roach 
Sister  Mary  Januarius  Shannon 
Sister  Mary  Etienne  Salway 
Sister  Mary  Lothaire  Hession 
Sister  Mary  Alfrieda  Goetten 
Sister  Mary  Justitia  Downing 
Sister  Mary  Lucille  Gorman 
Sister  Mary  Viviana  Tuohey 
Sister  Mary  Aquila  Duggan 
Sister  Mary  Benet  Fitzgerald 
Sister  Mary  Stella  Ferrick 
Sister  Mary  Linus  Cummings 
Sister  Mary  Daniela  Sullivan 
Sister  Mary  Liliosa  Pierce 
Sister  Mary  Eleanora  Reilly 
Sister  Mary  Agnessa  Hurley 
Sister  Mary  Placide  Ennis 
Sister  Mary  Alexandrine  Guentner 
Sister  Mary  Rosamund  Sullivan 
Sister  Mary  Silva  Kelly 
Sister  Mary  Mervina  McNichols 
Sister  Mary  Gratian  Norton 
Sister  Mary  Ulicia  Nagle 
Sister  Mary  Marcellus  O'Rourke 
Sister  Mary  Albert  Ferriter 
Sister  Mary  Alban  Maguire 
Sister  Mary  Walburga  Goetten 
Sister  Mary  Berlindis  Hanley 
Sister  Mary  Owen  Connolly 
Sister  Mary  Benedict  Malloy 
Sister  Mary  Pancratia  Pierc? 


OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER'S  OWN  488 

Miss  Agnes  Colleran  Miss  Eleanor  Welch 

Miss  Anna  Finn  Miss  Anna  Coppenrath 

Miss  Julia  Clifford  Miss  Catherine  Duggan 

Miss  Helen  Burke  Miss  Dorothy  O'Rourke 

Miss  Martha  Anderson  Miss  Catherine  Schaeffer 

Miss  Catherine  Kearin  Miss  Madeline  Linehan 

Miss  Margaret  Doheny  Miss  Mary  Lyons 


SISTEES  OF  OUR  LADY  OF  THE  GOOD  SHEPHEED 

Sister  Mary  of  St.  Lillian  McGowan 

Sister  Mary  Virtues  Frawley 

Sister  Mary  of  St.  Magdalen  of  Jesus  O'Kane 

Sister  Mary  of  St.  Martha  O'Kane 

Sister  Mary  of  St.  Cip  O'Kane 

Sister  Mary  Julitta  O'Kane 

Sister  Mary  of  St.  Raphael  Gunter 

*Sister  Mary  of  St.  Vitalis  Weissel 

*Sister  Mary  of  St.  Francis  Assisi  Cohen 

Sister  Mary  of  St.  Philip  Clinton 

Sister  Mary  of  St.  Alexis  Dunbar 

Sister  Mary  of  Our  Lady  of  Grace  Dunbar 

Sister  Mary  of  St.  Rosina  Fitzgibbons 

Sister  Mary  of  St.  Henrietta  O'Keefe 

Sister  Mary  of  St.  Ethelreda  Hobbs 

Sister  Mary  of  St.  Alphonsus   Ligouri    Gallagher 

Sister  Mary  of  St.  Euphemia  Russel 

Sister  Mary  of  St.  Vitalis  Winkler 

Sister  Mary  of  St.  Priscilla  Dunn 

Sister  Mary  of  St.  Edmond  Lyons 

Sister  Mary  of  St.  Anselm  Mclntegart 

Sister  Mary  Holy  Redeemer  O'Regan 

Sister  Mary  Divine  Redeemer  O'Regan 

Sister  Mary  Immaculata  O'Grady 

DAUGHTERS  OF  CHAEITY  OF  ST.  VINCENT  DE  PAUL, 
EMMITSBUEG,  MAEYLAND 

Sister  Margaret  O'Keefe  Sister  Ignatia  Herbert 

Sister  Josephine  Harkins  Sister  Aloysia  ConneJl 


484       THU  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Sister  Mary  Michael  Keany       Sister  Pauline  Casley 
Sister  Mary  Elizabeth  O'Keefe  Sister  Louise  Daley 
Sister  Vincent  Loftus  Sister  Ambrose  Russell 

Sister  Teresa  Tirrell  Sister  Isabelle  Toohey 

Sister  De  Sales  Yendley  Sister  Mary  Matthew  Morton 

Sister  Helen  Maguire  Sister  Josepha  Murphy 

SISTERS  OF  CHARITY  OF  ST.  VINCENT  DE  PAUL, 
NEW  ORLEANS,  FLORIDA 

Sister  Loretta  O'Connell 

SISTERS  OF  CHARITY,  NAZARETH,  KENTUCKY 
Sister  Philippa  Kelly 

SISTERS  OF  CHARITY,  MADISON,  NEW  JERSEY 

Sister  Mary  Urban  Herlihy 

Sister  Helen  Maria  Ryan 

Sister  Inez  Marie  Sephton 

Sister  Maria  Matthew  Coulahan 

Sister  Grace    Veronica   Herlihy 

Sister  Alma  Perpetua  Lamb 

Sister  Anna  Rose  Killian 

Sister  Mary  Perpetua  Killian 

Sister  Agnes  Perpetua  Coulahan 

SISTERS  OF  CHARITY,  HALIFAX,  NOVA  SCOTIA,  CANADA 

Sister  Anne  Elizabeth  Halpin 
Sister  Mary  Margaret  Mclnnis 
Sister  Maria  Magdalene  Johnson 
Sister  Theresa  Agnes  Mahan 
Sister  Frances  Sullivan 

SISTERS  OF  NOTRE  DAME  DE  NAMUR 
Sister  Alphonse  Josephine  Burke 

SISTERS  OF  ST.  JOSEPH,  BRIGHTON,  MASS. 

Sister  Mary  Daniel  Shalley 
Sister  Mary  Editha  Daley 


OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER'S  OWN  485 

Sister  Mary  Majella  Finn 

Sister  Mary  Bernardine  Huber 

Sister  Mary  Thomas  Madeline  Shalley 

Sister  Mary  St.  Francis  Sullivan 

Sister  Mary  Anna  Magdalen  Kenney 

Sister  Mary  Adele  Needham 


SISTEES  OF  ST.  JOSEPH,  BUFFALO,  N.  Y. 

Sister  Mary  Gerard  Murphy 
Sister  Mary  Sylvester  Hurley 
Sister  Mary  Thomasine  Murphy 
Sister  Alma  Perpetua  Cullen 
Sister  Mary  Prudentia  McKenna 
Sister  Anna  Maria  Houlihan 
Sister  Mary  Mercedes  Driscoll 
Sister  Mary  Amelia  Penders 


SISTERS  OF  ST.  DOMINIC,  ROSARY  HILLS  HOME, 
HAWTHORNE,  N.  Y. 

Sister  Mary  Vincent  de  Paul  Wynne 


SISTERS  OF  ST.  DOMINIC,  SPRINGFIELD,  KENTUCKY 

Sister  Mary  Sylvester  Sullivan 
Sister  Mary  Eileen  Driscoll 


MARYKNOLL  SISTERS  OF  ST.  DOMINIC  FOR  THE  FOREIGN 

MISSIONS 

Sister  Mary  Teresa  Sullivan  (one  of  the  three 
original  members  of  the  Sisterhood) 

SISTERS  OF  MERCY,  ST.  MARY'S  ACADEMY,  BURLINGTON,  VT. 
Sister  Mary  Antonia  Ball          Sister  Mary  Immaculata  Ball 

SISTERS  OF  MERCY,  MANCHESTER,  N.  H. 
Sister  Catherine  Loftus 


486       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


SISTERS  OF  THE  HOLY  CROSS,  NOTEE  DAME,  INDIANA 

Sister  Mary  Lucy  McCormick 
Sister  Mary  Camillas  Smith 


SISTEES  OF  ST.  FEANCIS,  GLEN  RIDDLE,  PENNSYLVANIA 

Sister  Mary  Concordia  Fenders 

Sister  Mary  Anatolia  Bisch 

Sister  Mary  Nazarene  Doemling 

Sister  Mary  Bertilla  Deveney 

Sister  Mary  Aldonzo  Flynn 
Sister  Mary  Archangela  Fenders 

Sister  Mary  Theodula  O'Leary 

Sister  Mary  Florida   Coeli   Brinkley 


SISTEES  OF  ST.  FEANCIS  (TEETIARIES),  ST.  BONAVENTURE, 

N.  Y. 

Sister  Mary  Huberta  Smith 
Sister  Mary  Corrine  Ryan 
Sister  Mary  Wilfreda  Hart 
Sister  Mary  Dorothy  Burke 
Sister  Mary  Thomas  Cronin 
Sister  Mary  Concetta  Brawley 
Sister  Mary  Christopher  Loftus 
Sister'  Mary  Cecile  Giblin 


SISTEES  OF  PEOVIDENCE,  GALESBUEG,  ILL. 
Sister  Mary  Antoinette  Dolan 


OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER'S  OWN  487 


THE  FATHERS  ATTACHED  TO  THE  MISSION  CHURCH, 
1871-1921. 

Most  Rev.  Wm.  H.  Gross  Rev.  John  O'Brien 

Rev.  Joseph  Wissel  Rev.  Charles  Schmidt 

Rev.  Adam  Kreis  Rev.  Eugene  Walsh 

Rev.  Timothy  Enright  Rev.  Augustine  Weisser 

Rev.  Louis  Koch  Rev.  Paul  Huber 

Rev.  William  O'Connor  Rev.  Leonard  Lentsch 

Rev.  Francis  X.  Miller  Rev.  Michael  Corduke 

Rev.  Charles  Rathke  Rev.  Theodore  Schaak 

Rev.  Michael  Mueller  Rev.  Thomas  Ott 

Rev.  Alfred  DeHam  Rev.  Adalbert  Frank 

Rev.  Henry  Kuper  Rev.  Augustine  Dooper 

Rev.  Augustine  Freitag  Rev.  Patrick  McGivern 

Rev.  John  Schneider  Rev.  Francis  Delargy 
Rev.  Francis  X.  SchnuettgenRev.  John  Beil 

Rev.  Leopold  Petsch  Rev.  William  G.  Luecking 

Rev.  Matthew  Bohn  Rev.  Andrew  Wynn 

Rev.  Theodore  Lamy  Rev.  John  Leibfritz 

Rev.  Lawrence  Werner  Rev.  Aloysius  Lutz 

Rev.  Philip  Colonel  Rev.  Joseph  Kautz 

Rev.  Nicholas  Jaeckel  Rev.  John  Hickey 

Rev.  Louis  Dold  Rev.  James  Rein 

Rev.  Augustine   Stuhl  Rev.  Michael  Sheehan 

Rev.  Michael  Gates  Rev.  John  Frawley 

Rev.  Augustine  Mclnerney  Rev.  Augustine  Thumel 

Rev.  Peter  Bausch  Rev.  Sinon  Grogan 

Rev.  John  Lowekamp  Rev.  William  Crosby 

Rev.  John  Rebhan  Rev.  Henry  Gareis 

Rev.  Charles  Sigl  Rev.  James  Feeney 

Rev.  Joseph  Schwarz  Rev.  Joseph  Schnorr 

Rev.  Philip  Rossbach  Rev.  Thomas  Galvin 

Rev.  William  Lowekamp  Rev.  Henry  Mohan 

Rev.  Peter  Frischbier  Rev.  Bernard  Cullen 
Rev.  Frederick  Brandstaetter  Rev.  Peter  Corr 

Rev.  Peter  Trimpel  Rev.  Thomas  Donohue 

Rev.  Benedict  Kolb  Rev.  Archibald  Anderson 

Rev.  Louis  Zinnen  Rev.  Peter  Curran 

Rev.  Joseph  Henning  Rev.  Joseph  McGrath 


488       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


Augustine   Fransioli        Rev.  Joseph  Courtade 


Rev. 

Rev.  William  White 
Rev.  James  Hayes 
Rev.  George  Hespelein 
Rev.  Edward  Scully 
Rev.  Francis  L.  Kenzel 
Rev.  Augustine  Duke 
Rev.  Richard  Donohoe 
Rev.  Francis  Gallagher 
Rev.  John  Hanley 
Rev.  Andrew  Gunning 
Rev.  Charles  McCormick 
Rev.  Charles  Hoff 
Rev.  John  Kane 
Rev.  Daniel  Collins 
Rev.  Henry  Borgmann 
Rev.  William  Knell 
Rev.  William  Kenna 
Rev.  Patrick  Mulhall 
Rev.  Thomas  Mullaney 
Rev.  John  O'Leary 
Rev.  John  Lawler 
Rev.  Joseph  McGurk 
Rev.  William  Lindner 
Rev.  Michael  Gannon 
Rev.  Stephen  Connolly 
Rev.  James  Clark 
Rev.  Bernard  Luecking 
Rev.  James  Lynch 
Rev.  John  Feldmann 


Rev.  Charles  Nolen 
Rev.  John  Conway 
Rev.  Alfred  Jones 
Rev.  Joseph  Turner 
Rev.  Joseph  McLaughlin 
Rev.  Edward  Meehan 
Rev.  John   Sippel 
Rev.  Louis  Bloechl 
Rev.  Henry  Knecht 
Rev.  Thomas  Hanley 
Rev.  Ferdinand  Lutz 
Rev.  Joseph  McQuaid 
Rev.  Thomas  Gilhooly^ 
Rev.  Paul  Dugal 
Rev.  Vincent  Watson 
Rev.  Thomas  Raynor 
Rev.  John  Byrne 
Rev.  Timothy  McDonnell 
Rev.  William  Treanor 
Rev.  John  Guillo 
Rev.  John  Shaughnessy 
Rev.  William  Brick 
Rev.  Edwin  Shearer 
Rev.  George  Schneider 
Rev.  Eugene  Mulheran 
Rev.  Thomas  Wheelwright 
Rev.  Louis  Vollmer 
Rev.  Joseph  Leddy 
Rev.  Thomas  Roche 


Rev.  Albert  Schmering 


OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER'S  OWN  489 


Our  Devoted  Lay  Brothers. 

No  history  of  the  Mission  Church  would  be  com- 
plete without  a  grateful  reference  to  the  noble 
Redemptorist  Brothers  of  the  community,  who  for 
the  past  half  century  have  faithfully  contributed  in 
their  own  way  and  measure  to  promote  "  The  Glories 
of  Mary  in  Boston."  Let  no  man  belittle  their 
labors,  for  their  work,  weighed  in  the  mysterious 
scales  of  the  sanctuary,  may  have  availed  as  much, 
perhaps  even  more  than  the  achievements  of  the 
Fathers. 

In  the  service  of  God  there  are  unseen  battlefields, 
where  the  truest  heroes,  the  grandest  warriors,  and 
the  greatest  Saints  move  noiselessly  about,  intent 
only  on  leading  a  "  life  hidden  with  Christ  in  God." 
Such  has  been  the  career  of  the  many  self-sacrificing 
Brothers  who  for  fifty  years  have  toiled  and  spent 
themselves  in  the  performance  of  the  menial  duties 
of  community  life.  Not  for  them  the  false  glitter  or 
the  tawdry  tinsel  of  human  praise,  not  for  them  the 
intoxicating  glamour  of  earthly  glory;  their  only 
meed  was  the  approbation  of  their  conscience  and  the 
radiant  smile  of  the  Mother  of  Perpetual  Help,  as 
She  whispered  of  the  blessed  rest  and  peace  in  the 
land  that  lies  beyond  the  grave. 

Did  the  Fathers  in  their  apostolic  labors  meet  with 
flattering  success?  Then  give  them  the  credit  which 
under  God  is  their  due;  but  in  your  calculations  for- 
get not  the  part  which  the  humble  lay  brothers  played 
by  their  wearisome  grind  of  toil  and  their  incessant 
round  of  prayers.  They  it  was  who  by  their  kindly 
offices  lightened  the  burdens  of  the  Fathers,  and  by 
their  supplications  obtained  for  them  that  gift  of 


490      THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

grace  which  alone  can  soften  the  heart  of  the  sinner 
and  lead  him  captive  to  the  feet  of  Her  who  is  the 
Refuge  of  Sinners. 

The  Redemptorist  Brother,  whether  employed  in 
the  office,  in  the  sacristy,  or  in  the  kitchen,  is,  like 
Martha,  busy  "with  much  serving,"  but  when  the 
day's  work  is  done,  he  sits,  like  Mary,  at  the  feet  of 
Jesus  and  communes  with  Him  about  the  things  of 
Heaven.  Night  after  night 

"All  alone  in  the  dark 
Except  for  a  little  red  spark 
Which  flickering  sways  before 
The  tabernacle  door" 

he  tells  his  beads,  or  makes  the  Stations  of  the  Cross, 
or,  like  the  seraphic  St.  Alphonsus,  silently  adores 
Him,  the  Hidden  God  of  the  Eucharist,  "before 
whom  angels  bow  and  devils  tremble."  May  wei  not 
justly  believe  that  the  history  of  the  Mission  Church 
is,  in  a  way,  simply  the  answer  to  the  prayers  of  the 
Brothers?  Hence  we  owe  it  to  them  publicly  to 
acknowledge  on  this  joyful  occasion  the  deep  feel- 
ings of  gratitude  which  stir  our  hearts  at  the  thought 
of  the  valuable  service  they  have  rendered. 

They  have  all  without  exception  been  such  good 
and  faithful  servants  that  it  would  be  invidious  to 
single  out  any  one  for  special  mention;  wherefore, 
with  a  fervent  prayer  that  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 
Help  may  grant  to  all  of  them  her  choicest  favors, 
we  shall  give  the  complete  list  of  the  Brothers  who 
have  been  attached  to  the  community  since  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  Mission  Church. 

Brother  Dennis  (Dennis  Halpin) 

Brother  Seraphicus  (Francis  Krim) 

Brother  Christopher   (Christopher  Froehlich) 


OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER'S  OWN  491 

Brother  Baptist  (John  B.  Hermann) 
Brother  Joachim  (Theodore  Kutter) 
Brother  Mathias  (John  Kodisch) 
Brother  Chrysostom  (Chrysostom  Zimmer) 
Brother  Aloysius  (Peter  Reeber) 
Brother  Eustace  (William  Reinhardt) 
Brother  Simon  (Francis  X.  Ernst) 
Brother  Thomas  (Thomas  Luette) 
Brother  Columban  (John  V.  Higgins) 
Brother  Sixtus  (John  McEntee) 
Brother  Theobald  (John  Zimmermann) 
Brother  Edward  (Nicholas  McCarthy) 
Brother  Bernard  (Bernard  Pollmann) 
Brother  Lawrence  (Lawrence  Kallenbach) 
Brother  Ignatius  (Ignatius  Unser) 
Brother  Florian  (John  Grix) 
Brother  John  (John  Voelker) 
Brother  'Alexander  (William  O'Neill) 
Brother  Albert  (Valentine  Boll) 
Brother  Wolfgang  (Augustine  Deckelmann) 
Brother  Leonard  (Leonard  Ullmeier) 
Brother  George  (George  Meier) 
Brother  Raphael  (Theodore  Metzler) 
Brother  Melchior  (William  Van  der  Minde) 
Brother  Bernardine  (George  J.  Stoessel) 
Brother  Modestus  (Henry  Giloth) 
Brother  Xavier  (Henry  Heslan) 
Brother  Benedict  (Hugh  Hinchey) 
Brother  Oswald  (James  Fitzpatrick) 
Brother  Oscar  (John  O'Keefe) 
Brother  Francis  (Francis  Hoefling) 
Brother  Severinus  (Wendelin  Greulich) 
Brother  Richard  (John  Frings) 
Brother  Philip  (John  Mclsaac) 
Brother  Terence  (Terence  Dougherty) 
Brother  Alban  (James  Cuddihy) 
Brother  Louis  (Valentine  Kirchner) 
Brother  Stanislaus  (James  Murphy) 
Brother  Linus  (Mark  Kearns) 
Brother  Ambrose  (William  Moran) 
Brother  Christopher  (John  Doyle) 
Brother  Erasmus  (John  Bock) 


492       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Brother  Matthias  (James  Mathis) 
Brother  Edmund  (John  Regan) 
Brother  Eugene  (William  Nugent) 
Brother  Landelin  (Joseph  Vogel) 
Brother  Lambert  (George  Garpstas) 
Brother  Aloysius  (Joseph  Koch) 
Brother  Leo  (Joseph  Streit) 
Brother  Dominic  (John  Haley) 
Brother  Arthur  (Arthur  Fairbourne) 
Brother  Vincent  (Vincent  Crotty) 
Brother  Genesius   (Frederick  Klarmann) 
Brother  Edward  (Thomas  Hurley) 
Brother  Silverius  (Joseph  Nist) 
Brother  Alphonsus  (Leonard  Nenning) 
Brother  Hubert  (Edward  Meckletitsch) 


ASLEEP  IN   THE   ARMS   OF   OUR 
BLESSED  MOTHER 

A  Shadow !  hast  seen  in  the  summer 

A  cloud  wear  the  smile  of  the  sun? 

On  the  shadow  of  death  there  is  flashing 

The  glory  of  noble  deeds  done; 

On  the  face  of  the  dead  there  is  glowing 

The  light  of  a  holy  race  run ; 

And  the  smile  of  the  face  is  reflecting 

The  gleam  of  the  crown  he  has  won. 

Still,  shadow !  sleep  on  in  the  vestments 

Unstained  by  the  priest  who  has  gone. 

— Rev.  Abram  J.  Ryan. 


THE  REV.  LEOPOLD  PETSCH,  C.  SS.  R. 

The  first  member  of  the  Boston  community  to  rest 
from  his  labors  was  the  Rev.  Leopold  Petsch,  who 
died  June  20,  1882. 

Leopold  Petsch  was  born  August  23, 1821,  at  Kor- 
nitz,  Moravia,  a  province  of  the  Austrian  empire. 
Through  the  fair  fabric  of  his  childhood  and  youth, 
ran  the  golden  threads  of  innocence  and  piety.  Nat- 
urally of  a  serious  disposition,  he  showed  little  liking 
for  the  ordinary  pastimes  of  boyhood,  and  preferred 
prayer  and  pious  reading  to  the  boisterous  enjoy- 
ments of  his  classmates  and  companions.  Thus  pro- 
tected from  the  many  occasions  of  sin  that  might 
otherwise  have  allured  him,  he  steadily  advanced  in 


494       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

virtue,  and  prepared  himself  unconsciously  for  the 
life  of  sacrifice  he  was  destined  to  lead. 

In  1842  Leopold  Petsch  entered  the  Redemptorist 
novitiate  at  Eggenburg,  and  on  November  13,  1843, 
made  his  religious  profession  at  Mautern  in  Austria. 
As  a  seminarian,  he  was  a  shining  example  to  his 
fellows,  being  especially  noted  for  his  humility.  On 
the  completion  of  his  theological  studies,  he  was 
ordained  priest  July  26,  1846. 

At  that  time  a  great  field  for  apostolic  labor  was 
opening  in  America,  and  a  fine  opportunity  was  thus 
afforded  Father  Petsch  of  showing  his  spirit  of  sacri- 
fice by  quitting  his  native  land  and  consecrating  him- 
self to  the  salvation  of  needy  souls  in  this  country. 
In  his  burning  zeal  he  offered  himself  to  his  Supe- 
riors for  this  apostolate ;  his  offer  was  gladly  accepted, 
and  on  March  24,  1848,  in  company  with  another 
Redemptorist  Father,  he  arrived  at  New  York. 

Father  Petsch's  Superiors  at  once  sent  him  to  Bal- 
timore, where  the  Fathers  attached  to  St.  Alphonsus' 
Church  had  to  tend  all  the  German  Catholics  in  the 
city  and  in  the  suburbs.  In  the  performance  of  their 
priestly  duties,  they  were  often  obliged  to  travel  miles 
and  miles  afoot.  Father  Petsch  was  placed  in  charge 
of  St.  James's  Church,  where  he  displayed  energy 
and  ability  of  the  highest  order. 

In  October,  1849,  he  was  transferred  to  Buffalo, 
and  in  April,  1851,  to  Rochester,  where  he  remained 
until  May,  1852.  During  the  following  seven  years, 
New  York  City  was  the  scene  of  his  labors.  The 
small  number  of  priests  who  at  that  time  ministered 
to  the  wants  of  the  German  Catholics  in  the  metropo- 
lis, made  the  work  of  the  Fathers  very  difficult, 
especially  because  they  had  to  provide  not  only  for 
two  German  congregations  in  the  city,  but  also  for 
many  others  in  the  environs.  Moreover,  they  attended 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    495 

the  public  hospitals,  and  on  account  of  frequently 
recurring  epidemics,  they  had  a  multitude  of  sick 
calls.  For  four  years  Father  Petsch  was  an  assistant 
at  the  Church  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer,  and  for 
the  next  three,  had  the  care  of  St.  Alphonsus'  Church. 

Here  he  showed  consummate  zeal.  Immigrants 
found  in  him  a  kindly  guide  and  prudent  adviser  in 
the  land  of  their  adoption.  They  soon  learned  to 
look  up  to  and  lean  on  him,  and  by  him  were  pre- 
served from  the  many  dangers  to  their  faith.  Men 
who  had  been  strangers  to  religion  for  well  nigh  a 
lifetime,  and  who  with  seared  conscience  had  run  the 
gamut  of  the  vices,  after  listening  to  the  earnest 
exhortations  of  Father  Petsch,  resolved  to  forsake 
their  evil  ways,  and  were  reconciled  by  him  to  God  in 
the  Sacrament  of  Penance.  He  wielded  a  peculiar 
influence  over  the  hearts  of  even  the  most  obdurate 
sinners,  and  seldom  failed  to  bring  them  to  the  mercy- 
seat  of  God. 

In  April,  1859,  the  voice  of  obedience  called  him 
to  Baltimore;  here  he  acted  the  part  of  a  conscien- 
tious steward  for  two  years,  until  appointed  Rector 
of  St.  Alphonsus'  Church.  In  the  annals  of  that 
parish  he  bears  an  honored  name. 

In  1862,  Father  Petsch  was  transferred  to  the  rec- 
torate  of  the  Church  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer, 
N.  Y.  We  may  form  some  idea  of  his  labors  here, 
by  taking  a  glance  at  the  baptismal  register  and  the 
school  report.  During  each  year  of  his  administra- 
tion, there  were  more  than  a  thousand  baptisms,  and 
the  parochial  school  was  attended  by  more  than  fif- 
teen hundred  children.  Serious  and  pressing  prob- 
lems affecting  the  immortal  destinies  of  souls  arose 
almost  daily.  The  times,  too,  were  bad.  The  war 
between  the  North  and  the  South,  which  was  then 
at  its  height,  greatly  increased  his  anxiety;  for,  on 


496       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

the  one  hand  his  religious  community  might  at  any 
time  have  been  exposed  to  danger,  and,  on  the  other, 
his  poor  flock  was  distracted  and  distressed  by  the 
horrors  of  war.  But  a  still  heavier  cross  awaited  him. 

In  1865,  Father  Petsch  was  nominated  Rector  of 
St.  Mary's  Church,  Annapolis.  Here  he  had  to  bear 
in  all  its  appalling  gravity  the  overwhelming  sorrow 
caused  by  the  terrible  disaster  of  July  9,  1866.  On 
that  doleful  day,  three  Redemptorist  priests  and 
two  seminarians  met  death  in  a  drowning  accident  on 
the  Chesapeake  Bay.  This  sudden  and  awful  blow 
completely  prostrated  him;  his  health  was  seriously 
impaired,  and  it  became  necessary  to  remove  him 
from  Annapolis. 

His  Superiors  sent  him  to  Pittsburgh,  as  Rector 
of  St.  Philomena's  Church,  which  office  he  held  till 
July,  1871.  His  two  great  works  in  this  field  were 
the  beautifying  of  the  church  and  the  promoting  of 
devotion  to  the  Infant  Jesus. 

From  Pittsburgh  Father  Petsch  went  to  Baltimore 
as  Rector  of  St.  Alphonsus'  Church.  One  day  shortly 
after  his  arrival  at  his  new  post,  he  was  called  to 
administer  the  last  Sacraments  to  a  dying  man.  On 
account  of  the  intense  heat,  the  devoted  priest  suf- 
fered a  sunstroke  which  brought  him  to  the  verge  of 
the  grave.  For  several  days  his  life  hung  in  the 
balance.  Finally  he  recovered,  yet  his  health  was 
never  entirely  restored;  still,  he  performed  all  the 
duties  of  his  office  with  conscientious  fidelity. 

In  1873,  when  the  Rev.  Father  Gross  was  chosen 
Bishop  of  Savannah,  Father  Petsch  was  selected  to 
succeed  him  as  Superior  of  the  Mission  Church,  Bos- 
ton. His  master  achievement  here,  which  won  him 
deathless  fame,  was,  as  the  reader  knows,  the  erection 
of  the  present  church.  When,  in  1874,  ground  was 
broken  for  the  new  edifice,  it  was  Father  Petsch  him- 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    497 

self  who  drew  the  lines,  planted  the  stakes,  and 
directed  the  work  of  excavation.  "  I  remember  well," 
says  an  eyewitness,  "  how  I  admired  his  large  heart  in 
taking  in  so  vast  an  area,  and  so  far  back  into  the 
garden,  the  more  so,  as  a  considerable  part  of  it  con- 
sisted of  a  large  hill  which  had  to  be  removed.  But, 
Father  Petsch  was  not  the  man  to  begin  the  work, 
and  such  a  work,  in  a  puny  style.  He  looked  to  the 
future  need  and  usefulness  of  a  large  structure,  and 
he  would  consequently  lay  the  foundations  broad  and 
deep."  Father  Petsch  was  surely  a  man  of  vision. 
He  saw  at  least  one  generation  ahead  of  his  time.  As 
he  planned  the  stately  structure,  he  must  have 
visualized  the  Mission  Church  of  1921  —  a  teeming 
center  of  spiritual  activity.  He  was  a  dreamer,  but 
a  practical  dreamer  —  one  who  knew  how  to  translate 
his  dreams  into  living  pulsing  realities.  The  church 
is  an  enduring  monument  to  his  piety,  confidence  in 
God,  and  superabundant  zeal.  But  what  it  must 
have  cost  him,  God  alone  knows.  Who  shall  tell  the 
anxious  days  and  sleepless  nights  Father  Petsch  must 
have  spent  while  it  was  in  the  course  of  erection  ?  To 
build  such  an  edifice  in  what  was  then,  we  may  say, 
a  country  district,  was,  indeed,  a  herculean  task, 
especially  as  the  church  was  at  that  time  without 
parochial  rights.  But  this  brave  athlete  of  Christ 
knew  no  such  word  as  "Failure,"  and  went  ahead 
courageously  until,  when  the  church  was  nearly 
finished,  he  was  relieved  of  the  heavy  burdens  of 
office. 

After  he  had  stepped  down  into  the  ranks, 
although  his  strength  must  have  been  sapped  by  the 
heavy  strain  he  had  undergone,  Father  Petsch 
labored  as  hard  as  ever,  especially  in  the  confessional. 
When  urged  to  spare  himself,  he  made  light  of  his 
infirmities.  But  at  length,  on  June  14,  1882,  he  was 


498       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

forced  to  take  to  bed.  The  doctor  pronounced  his 
trouble  fatty  degeneration  of  the  heart,  and  gave  him 
at  most  three  months  to  live.  But  the  end  came  much 
sooner  than  anticipated.  On  the  19th,  Father  Petsch 
was  so  weak  that  the  physician  declared  he  could  not 
live  more  than  forty-eight  hours.  The  last  Sacra- 
ments were  at  once  administered  to  the  dying  man  by 
Father  Henning,  who,  with  the  other  Fathers  of  the 
community,  kept  constant  watch  at  the  bedside. 

In  the  last  hours  of  his  earthly  sojourn,  Father 
Petsch  spoke  rarely,  for  his  mind  was  lifted  up  to 
Heaven  and  to  the  things  of  God.  The  one  senti- 
ment that  ruled  his  soul  was  "  I  desire  to  die  and  to 
be  with  Christ."  During  his  long  spells  of  delirium, 
he  seemed  to  show  an  ardent  desire  to  be  sprinkled 
with  holy  water,  and  blessed  himself  repeatedly.  He 
was  also  observed  to  make  the  sign  of  the  cross,  as  if 
over  the  host  and  chalice,  in  imitation  of  the  priest 
celebrating  Holy  Mass.  His  death  was  the  echo  of 
his  life.  Near  the  altar  he  had  always  lived;  at  the 
altar  in  spirit,  he  died.  About  noon  on  June  20,  the 
community  was  hastily  summoned  to  the  cell  of  the 
dying  priest,  where  the  Litany  for  the  departing  soul 
was  recited  and  absolution  once  more  conferred. 
After  a  hard  and  prolonged  struggle,  Father 
Petsch's  saintly  spirit  shook  off  the  trammels  of  the 
body  and  winged  its  flight  to  Him  who  made  it. 

The  following  morning  the  mortal  remains  were 
removed  to  the  church  and  a  Solemn  Requiem  Mass 
was  sung  by  Father  Henning,  assisted  by  Father 
Bausch  and  Father  O'Brien.  The  body  lay  in  state 
all  day,  and  hundreds  of  the  faithful  to  whom  the 
dead  priest  had  been  father  and  guide  came  to  pay 
a  last  tribute  of  respect  and  love  to  one  they  so 
deeply  venerated.  On  the  22d,  after  the  recitation  of 
the  Office  for  the  Dead,  the  Solemn  Funeral  Mass 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    499 

was  celebrated  by  Father  Magennis  of  Jamaica 
Plain,  with  Father  Moran  of  St.  Stephen's,  Boston, 
as  deacon,  and  Father  Fitzpatrick  of  Milton,  as  sub- 
deacon.  The  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Williams, 
attended  by  Father  Sigl,  C.  SS.R.,  and  Father 
Donnelly,  presided  at  the  Mass.  The  eulogy  was  pro- 
nounced by  the  Rev.  Jeremiah  O'Connor,  S.  J.,  who 
reviewed  the  life  of  the  deceased  from  his  birth  in 
1821  to  his  entrance  into  religion  in  1843,  and  from 
his  elevation  to  the  priesthood  in  1846  to  the  time  of 
his  death.  The  preacher  depicted  in  glowing  colors 
the  sublimity  of  the  religious  and  the  priestly  voca- 
tion, dwelling  especially  on  the  latter.  He  then 
referred  to  the  striking  virtues  of  Father  Petsch,  the 
religious  and  priest,  as  displayed  in  all  the  houses  of 
his  order  in  which  he  had  been  stationed.  The  last 
grand  and  mighty  work  of  his  zeal,  said  Father 
O'Connor,  was  the  beautiful  Church  of  Our  Lady 
of  Perpetual  Help,  which  would  stand  as  an  eternal 
monument  to  his  memory.  The  congregation  was 
much  affected  when  the  preacher  quoted  those  re- 
markable words  of  the  dying  Redemptorist,  who, 
when  asked  if  he  wanted  anything,  replied,  "  I  want 
God."  After  the  sermon  His  Grace  pronounced  the 
final  absolution.  Tender  and  loving  hands  then  bore 
the  body  of  Father  Petsch  to  the  grave  prepared  for 
it  in  the  community  garden,  where,  within  shadow  of 
the  great  church  he  had  built,  they  gave  him  back  at 
last  to  his  kindred  dust.  About  six  years  later,  his 
ashes  were  removed  to  Calvary  Cemetery,  where  they 
await  a  glorious  resurrection. 

Regret  for  the  loss  of  Father  Petsch  was  general 
and  sincere,  as  he  was  cordially  esteemed  as  a  gentle 
and  charitable  priest  and  an  excellent  director  of 
souls.  One  of  his  most  prominent  virtues  was  his 
spirit  of  faith.  It  was  from  his  calm,  serene,  and 


500       TflE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

boundless  faith  that  he  drew  that  unfailing  strength 
which  sustained  him  in  all  difficulties  and  that  re- 
markable courage  which  enabled  him  to  bear  up 
under  such  trying  ordeals  as  the  accident  at  Ann- 
apolis. It  was  his  faith  that  filled  him  with  burning 
devotion  to  the  Adorable  Sacrament  of  the  Altar  and 
to  the  Most  Blessed  Virgin  Mary  —  two  practises  of 
piety  most  earnestly  recommended  by  St.  Alphonsus. 

As  a  Redemptorist,  Father  Petsch  was  faithfully 
observant  of  the  rules  of  the  Congregation.  He 
realized  fully  that  only  within  those  rules,  approved 
by  the  Church,  could  he  please  God,  and  labor 
efficaciously  for  the  salvation  of  others.  From  the 
day  of  his  profession,  he  practised  the  evangelical 
counsels  with  the  greatest  exactness.  He  strove  to 
inspire  those  whose  spiritual  father  he  was  with  his 
own  esteem  for  the  religious  state,  and  thus  encour- 
aged many  of  his  younger  penitents  to  forsake  the 
world  and  all  that  it  prizes  and  to  give  themselves 
entirely  to  God.  He  had  an  abiding  conviction  of 
the  truth  of  the  saying  of  St.  Alphonsus  that  after 
the  grace  of  Baptism,  that  of  a  religious  vocation  is 
the  choicest  of  God's  gifts. 

In  humility,  which  gives  to  the  other  virtues  their 
genuine  Christian  character,  Father  Petsch  distin- 
guished himself  to  a  high  degree.  Never  was  he  heard 
to  speak  of  himself,  nor  to  defend  his  own  opinion 
obstinately.  Never  was  he  seen  disturbed,  when  in 
any  way  hurt  or  offended.  He  was  tranquil  and 
resigned  under  crosses,  and  though  constantly  tor- 
mented by  corporal  sufferings,  no  word  of  complaint 
or  murmur  escaped  his  lips.  Thus  died  this  true 
servant  of  God  and  disciple  of  St.  Alphonsus. 

Sleep,  beloved  Leopold  Petsch,  Redemptorist, 
priest  and  man  of  Gfod,  gently  sleep  beneath  the 
shadow  of  the  Cross,  in  thy  appointed  chamber  in 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    501 

God's  acre!  Sleep,  where  the  din  and  strife  of  the 
city  is  hushed,  where  the  birds  sing  sweetly,  where  the 
stars  for  funeral  tapers  burn,  and  where  the  weeping 
willows  sob  the  De  Profundis!  Sleep  on  till  the  dawn 
of  never-fading  light,  sleep  on  till  the  Angel  of  the 
Resurrection  quickens  thy  ashes  to  new  life,  and  thou 
arise  in  radiant  and  resplendent  vesture,  to  take  thy 
place  in  "Mount  Sion  and  the  heavenly  Jerusalem," 
in  "the  company  of  many  thousands  of  angels,  the 
Church  of  the  first-born  who  are  written  in  the 
heavens,"  with  "  God,  the  Judge  of  all,  and  the  spirits 
of  the  just  made  perfect,  and  Jesus,  the  Mediator  of 
the  New  Testament,  and  the  blood  which  speaketh 
better  things  than  that  of  Abel!" 


THE  REV.  JOHN  O'BRIEN,  C.  SS.  R. 

Father  O'Brien  fell  on  the  field  of  battle,  Novem- 
ber 8,  1885.  He  was  born  in  County  Tipperary,  Ire- 
land, April  1,  1850.  When  he  was  two  years  old  his 
father  died,  and  six  years  later  his  mother  came  to 
this  country  and  settled  in  New  York  City.  Here 
John  was  sent  to  St.  Peter's  parochial  school  and 
later  to  De  La  Salle  Academy. 

When  a  mere  boy  he  determined  to  become  a  relig- 
ious, but  was  undecided  as  to  what  order  he  should 
choose.  On  the  one  hand  the  life  of  a  Christian 
Brother  appealed  to  him;  on  the  other,  he  felt  drawn 
to  the  Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer. 
One  day  in  May,  1870,  he  went  to  the  Redemptorist 
rectory  on  E.  3d  Street,  N.  Y.,  and  asked  to  see 
Father  O'Connor.  The  latter,  on  meeting  him,  said, 
"What  can  I  do  for  you,  my  young  friend?" 
"Father,"  replied  the  stalwart  youth,  "I  have 


502       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

thought  very  seriously  of  becoming  a  religious  of 
your  order.  I  have  considered  the  step  long  and 
well,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  God  wishes  me  to 
leave  the  world."  "  But  are  you  aware,"  said  Father 
O'Connor,  "that  in  our  order  there  are  priests  and 
lay  brothers?  The  Fathers  devote  themselves  to  the 
work  of  the  sacred  ministry,  principally  by  giving 
missions;  the  brothers  lead  a  more  retired  life  and 
give  themselves  exclusively  to  manual  labor  for  the 
good  of  the  Congregation."  "Father,  I  wish  to  be 
a  lay  brother  in  the  Congregation.  I  would  not  dare 
aspire  to  be  a  missionary,"  answered  the  sturdy  lad. 
When  Father  O'Connor  introduced  John  O'Brien  to 
the  Rector  of  the  house,  the  Rev.  Michael  Mueller, 
the  latter  was  so  favorably  impressed  by  the  young 
man's  manner  and  bearing  that  he  encouraged  him  to 
study  for  the  priesthood. 

A  little  later  John  O'Brien  entered  the  Prepara- 
tory College  of  the  Redemptorists  in  Baltimore, 
where  he  soon  acquired  the  reputation  of  being  the 
most  diligent  student  at  college.  His  application  to 
study  was  extraordinary.  Had  he,  in  imitation  of 
St.  Alphonsus,  made  a  vow  never  to  lose  a  moment  of 
time,  he  could  not  have  displayed  greater  industry  in 
the  pursuit  of  knowledge,  filled  as  he  was  with  ambi- 
tion to  render  himself  a  fit  instrument  in  the  service 
of  God.  If  ever  a  man  deserved  success  for  his  un- 
tiring efforts  that  man  was  John  O'Brien.  Even 
while  other  diligent  students  were  seeking  much- 
needed  recreation  and  enjoyment,  he  was  buried 
in  his  books ;  such  close  application  naturally  brought 
him  to  the  front  of  his  class;  for  what  he  lacked  in 
quickness  of  perception  he  more  than  gained  by  dili- 
gence and  industry. 

His  career,  however,  received  a  sudden  check;  for 
not  even  an  iron  constitution  is  proof  against  the  in- 


roads  of  the  many  ills  to  which  human  flesh  is  heir. 
Inflammatory  rheumatism,  the  same  disease  which 
later  on  caused  his  death,  so  tortured  him  in  every 
limb,  that  for  seven  weeks  he  was  as  helpless  as  a 
babe.  But  after  much  suffering  endured  with  great 
patience,  he  recovered.  A  trip  to  his  native  isle 
enabled  him  to  return  to  his  studies  with  renewed 
energy. 

In  the  summer  of  1875,  John  O'Brien  passed,  to  the 
entire  satisfaction  of  his  Superiors,  the  entrance 
examination  into  the  novitiate.  On  August  2  he  re- 
ceived the  habit  of  the  Congregation  of  the  Most 
Holy  Redeemer  at  Annapolis,  and  began  his  proba- 
tion under  the  Rev.  Henry  Dauenhauer,  C.  SS.R. 
During  his  entire  novitiate  he  was  invariably  the 
first  in  the  chapel  in  the  morning.  This  same  prompt- 
ness and  fervor  he  exhibited  at  all  the  other  exercises 
of  the  day.  So  great  was  his  desire  to  do  all  things 
in  the  most  perfect  manner  that  it  was  apparent  to 
everyone.  Those  who  saw  him  for  the  first  time  were 
inclined  to  believe  that  his  piety  was  too  demonstra- 
tive to  be  perfectly  sincere.  However,  this  was  not 
the  case,  for  his  ardent  desire  to  do  everything  well 
continued  to  the  end  of  his  life — an  infallible  sign 
that  his  fervor  was  genuine.  On  August  2,  1876,  he 
pronounced  the  holy  vows  and  shortly  afterwards 
was  sent  to  Ilchester,  Md.,  to  take  up  the  higher 
studies.  Here,  as  in  the  preparatory  college,  he  ap- 
plied himself  to  his  books  with  energy  and  deter- 
mination; yet  at  the  same  time  he  made  it  his  chief 
study  to  become  a  perfect  religious. 

On  March  13,  1880,  John  O'Brien  was  ordained 
priest  by  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons,  and  on  the 
following  day  celebrated  his  First  Holy  Mass  in  the 
chapel  of  the  Preparatory  College  at  Ilchester.  He 
continued  to  prosecute  his  studies  until  February, 


504       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

1881,  when  he  was  sent  by  his  Superiors  to  Boston, 
to  begin  the  active  life  of  the  ministry. 

As  soon  as  Father  O'Brien  had  arrived  here,  he 
began  to  show  what  an  efficient  priest  he  was.  His 
first  appearance  gained  him  the  good  will  of  the 
parishioners.  By  his  urbane  and  gentle  manners 
and  great  zeal  and  efficiency,  he  won  general  admira- 
tion. Before  long  he  was  busily  engaged  in  every 
phase  of  parish  activity.  During  his  term  as  Direc- 
tor of  the  Sunday  School,  he  tended  with  the  utmost 
care  this  chosen  portion  of  Christ's  flock.  The  differ- 
ent branches  of  the  Archconfraternity  of  the  Holy 
Family  found  in  him  a  faithful  guide.  Now  we  see 
him  organizing  the  Juvenile  Holy  Family;  again,  at 
the  head  of  the  Married  Men's  and  Married  Women's 
Sodalities,  giving  them  the  solid  bread  of  heavenly 
truth.  His  confessional  was  at  all  times  besieged  by 
the  young  and  the  old,  who  hastened  to  receive  encour- 
agement from  the  zealous  priest  and  to  rekindle  their 
faith  by  the  warmth  that  proceeded  from  his. 

After  his  second  novitiate,  in  February,  1884, 
Father  O'Brien  was  appointed  to  the  mission- 
band.  The  confidence  which  his  Superiors  reposed 
in  his  ability  is  evident  from  the  fact  that,  when  only 
thirty-five  years  old,  he  was  selected  to  give  retreats 
to  the  clergy  of  the  dioceses  of  Erie,  Halifax,  New 
Brunswick,  and  Burlington,  and  to  the  seminar- 
ians at  Overbrook,  near  Philadelphia.  In  all  these 
places  he  received  the  highest  encomiums  from  bish- 
ops and  priests.  One  venerable  member  of  the  hier- 
archy wrote  of  him:  "Rev.  Father  O'Brien  during 
the  several  missions  which  he  preached  in  my  diocese 
to  the  reverend  clergy,  the  people  and  some  religious 
houses,  gained  the  esteem  and  affection  of  all  by  his 
zeal  and  piety.  He  was  remarkable  by  the  interest, 
full  of  affection,  which  he  bore  to  those  for  whose 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    505 

welfare  he  labored."  If  we  bear  in  mind  that  he  be- 
gan his  missionary  career  in  the  spring  of  1884  and 
died  in  the  autumn  of  1885,  it  will  help  us  to  realize 
what  an  immense  amount  of  work  he  did  in  a  short 
space  of  time.  But  again,  his  old  enemy,  inflamma- 
tory rheumatism,  attacked  him  while  he  was  assisting 
at  a  mission  in  Dorchester.  On  the  last  day  of  April, 
"J884,  about  10:00  A.  M.,  a  carriage  drove  up  to  the 
rectory  of  the  Mission  Church.  In  it  lay  poor 
Father  O'Brien,  wrapped  up  in  blankets.  After  a 
month  of  patient  endurance  he  was  restored  to  his 
wonted  strength  and  rejoined  the  mission  band. 

In  September,  1885,  he  and  Father  Delargy  were 
engaged  on  ai  series  of  missions  in  the  northern  part 
of  Pennsylvania.  When  they  had  finished  their  la- 
bors they  set  out  for  Boston,  stopping  at  New  York. 
In  the  latter  place  they  met  the  Very  Rev.  Father 
Provincial,  who  spoke  to  them  of  the  great  and  ardu- 
ous labors  of  the  missionaries  in  Philadelphia,  one  ot 
whom,  Father  McGivern,  had  just  been  taken  dan- 
gerously ill.  Father  O'Brien  begged  to  be  sent  to  the 
Philadelphia  mission,  but  the  Provincial  replied, 
'You  must  be  worn  out  by  constant  work  and  in 
need  of  rest."  Stretching  himself  to  his  full  height, 
he  exclaimed:  "Look  at  me!  Am  I  not  a  strong 
man?  Send  me.  I  am  ready  for  work."  :'Very 
well,"  answered  the  Provincial,  "you  and  Father 
Delargy  may  go  to  the  Philadelphia  mission  by  the 
next  train."  Father  O'Brien  was  highly  delighted. 
At  the  same  time  he  asked  and  received  permission 
to  go  to  Ilchester  during  the  time  intervening  be- 
tween the  women's  and  the  men's  mission,  in  order 
"to  embrace  again  the  dear  brethren  on  the  hill." 
Accompanied  by  Father  Delargy  he  went  to  Phila- 
delphia in  order  to  take  part  in  the  mission  at  the 
Church  of  the  Annunciation.  In  the  inscrutable  de- 


506       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

signs  of  God  this  was  to  be  his  last  work  in  the  min- 
istry. As  his  priestly  career  had  opened,  so  it  was  to 
close  at  a  church  dedicated  to  the  Queen  of  Heaven. 
At  the  conclusion  of  the  women's  mission  the  two 
Fathers  availed  themselves  of  the  opportunity  to  re- 
visit  their  Alma  Mater  at  Ilchester,  where  they  had 
spent  so  many  happy  days  in  preparation  for  their 
future  labors. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  Father  O'Brien  appears 
to  have  had  some  presentiment  of  his  approaching 
death.  A  few  months  before,  he  had  told  one  of  his 
penitents  that  he  had  only  a  short  time  to  live.  The 
night  before  he  started  out  on  his  final  series  of  mis- 
sions he  spoke  so  pointedly  that  in  the  light  of  subse- 
quent events,  the  persons  with  whom  he  had  talked 
realized  he  was  bidding  them  farewell.  At  Ilches- 
ter, while  engaged  in  earnest  conversation  with  the 
Fathers,  he  suddenly  stopped  short  and  exclaimed: 
"Well,  Ilchester  is  so  nice  and  quiet,  it  would  be  a 
holy  place  to  die  in."  After  retiring  that  night  he  was 
suddenly  seized  with  another  attack  of  inflammatory 
rheumatism.  He  had  felt  a  severe  pain  in  his  foot  for 
several  days,  but  had  endeavored  to  convince  himself 
that  it  would  pass  away.  In  this  instance,  however, 
the  opposite  happened;  the  affection  spread  over  his 
whole  body,  and  every  movement  caused  him  excru- 
ciating pain.  For  three  days  he  suffered  the  most  in- 
tense tortures,  but  on  Saturday  he  was  much  better. 
Confident  of  his  recovery  the  zealous  priest  spoke  of 
returning  to  the  field  of  labor  where  his  companion 
had  in  the  meantime  gone.  He  even  left  his  bed  for 
a  short  while,  in  order  to  see  if  he  could  walk.  His 
friends  began  to  conceive  high  hopes  that  he  would 
soon  be  restored  to  health;  but,  alas!  at  half  past  six 
the  next  morning  he  suffered  a  relapse  and  died  half 
an  hour  later,  on  Sunday,  November  8. 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    507 

The  sad  news  was  at  once  telegraphed  to  Boston, 
and  caused  sincere  sorrow  among  priests  and  peo- 
ple. The  remains  were  shipped  here  for  interment, 
and  lay  in  state  in  the  church  till  Thursday  morning, 
when  the  funeral  was  held.  At  the  conclusion  of  the 
office  for  the  Dead,  Solemn  Requiem  Mass  was  cele- 
brated by  the  Rev.  Eugene  Walsh,  C.  SS.  R.,  assist- 
ed by  the  Rev.  Andrew  Wynn,  C.  SS.  R.,  as  deacon, 
and  the  Rev.  Aloysius  Lutz,  C.  SS.  R.,  as  subdea- 
con.  The  Rev.  William  G.  Luecking,  C.  SS.  R.,  a 
classmate  of  the  deceased  priest,  preached  an  affect- 
ing eulogy.  About  50  priests  and  2,000  of  the  laity 
attended  the  funeral.  Father  O'Brien  was  buried  in 
Calvary  Cemetery. 

An  eyewitness  tells  us  that  on  one  occasion  the 
Rev.  John  O'Brien,  while  giving  a  retreat  to  the 
clergy  of  a  certain  diocese,  betook  himself  to  the 
chapel,  in  order  to  pray  for  light  and  grace.  Looking 
about  and  seeing  no  one  present,  he  prostrated  him- 
self before  the  altar  and  remained  for  a  long  time  in 
that  humble  posture.  Meanwhile,  however,  he  had 
been  closely  watched  from  behind  the  sacristy  door, 
and  his  great  devotion  to  the  Blessed  Sacrament  in- 
spired his  young  observer  to  join  the  ranks  of  the 
Sons  of  St.  Alphonsus.  Father  O'Brien  evidently 
practised  what  he  preached  when  he  taught  the  faith- 
ful to  have  recourse  to  Our  Lord  in  the  Holy  Euchar- 
ist in  all  their  needs  and  trials. 

Father  O'Brien  was  deeply  devoted  to  the  Mother 
of  Sorrows,  and  made  it  a  rule  to  instil  this  devotion, 
so  touching  and  so  consoling,  into  the  hearts  of  his 
spiritual  children.  After  his  death,  one  of  his  peni- 
tents said:  "I  remember  him  telling  that  he  always 
said  his  Seven  Dolor  Rosary  in  any  trial  or  to  ob- 
tain any  favor,  and  that  he  was  always  heard.  And 
I  can  say  for  myself  that  through  him  I  have  obtained 


508      THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  fcOSTOiST 

the  same  confidence,  and  by  Mary's  prayers  have  re- 
ceived favors  that  seemed  almost  impossible.  I  think 
if  his  penitents  were  brought  together  few  would  be 
found  without  the  Seven  Dolor  Rosary." 

Another  prominent  note  of  Father  O'Brien's  char- 
acter was  his  close  study  and  still  closer  imitation  of 
the  spirit  of  St.  Alphonsus.  To  read  the  Saint's  life 
and  to  meditate  on  his  many  virtues,  were  practises 
dear  to  him  even  when  a  young  man  in  the  world.  It 
was  this  attachment  to  St.  Alphonsus,  and  this  affec- 
tion for  him,  which  naturally  led  John  O'Brien  to 
join  the  Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer, 
and  when  he  had  joined  it,  to  live  true  and  loyal  to  its 
genius  and  its  traditions.  No  wonder,  then,  that  he 
died  with  the  habit  of  St.  Alphonsus  covering  his 
heart  and  the  prayers  of  St.  Alphonsus  sustaining 
his  soul. 

Father  O'Brien's  life  was  one  animated  and  ener- 
gized by  the  spirit  of  lively  faith,  of  exact  obedience, 
of  unsullied  purity,  and  of  sincere  humility.  It  was  a 
life  that  should  encourage  us  to  tread  in  the  footsteps 
of  Jesus  Christ,  so  that  we  may  deserve  to  close  our 
days  in  that  childlike,  peaceful  trust  in  God,  which 
robs  death  of  its  terrors  and  makes  it  the  gateway  to 
eternal  bliss. 


THE  REV.  JOHN  BEIL,  C.  SS.  R. 

John  Beil,  the  second  of  nine  children,  was  born  in 
the  city  of  Baltimore,  in  the  parish  of  St.  Alphonsus, 
of  whose  zealous  little  band  of  missionaries  he  was 
one  day  to  be  so  bright  an  ornament.  The  date  of  his 
birth  was  October  8, 1855;  of  his  baptism,  October  12. 
The  family  dwelt  within  the  shadow  of  the  grand  old 
basilica,  which  was  built  by  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    509 

Carroll,  the  patriarch  of  the  American  hierarchy,  and 
which  has  been  the  scene  of  the  grandest  ecclesiastical 
functions.  His  parents  were  models  of  every  Chris- 
tian virtue.  Full  of  faith  and  of  zeal  for  the  glory 
of  God,  they  were  ever  foremost  in  every  movement 
tending  to  promote  the  spread  of  religion.  Their 
home  was  a  model  one,  where  prayers  were  daily  re- 
cited at  the  appointed  hours,  where  instructions  in 
Christian  doctrine  were  given  to  the  children  by  the 
parents,  where  peace  and  harmony  reigned,  where 
the  poor  were  always  kindly  received,  and  where  many 
a  one  who  had  met  with  a  sudden  reverse  of  fortune 
found  the  means  to  hide  his  poverty  from  the  eyes 
of  the  cruel  world  —  the  blessing  of  God  rested  vis- 
ibly on  the  home  of  John  Beil. 

A  remarkable  incident  occurred  when  he  was  a 
little  boy,  which  points  him  out  as  having  been  even 
then  a  particularly  favored  child  of  God — an  incident 
of  which  he  himself  often  spoke  as  a  mark  of  God's 
special  goodness  to  him.  When  about  five  years  of 
age,  boy-fashion,  he  climbed  over  the  railing  of  an  ad- 
jacent porch.  Suddenly  he  lost  his  hold  and  fell  to 
the  ground,  sustaining  a  fracture  of  the  skull.  For 
twenty-four  hours  the  child  was  unconscious.  Every- 
body had  given  him  up  for  dead ;  even  the  physician 
after  removing  the  stitches  from  the  wound  de- 
clared that  life  had  departed.  His  parents  closed 
the  store  they  kept  and  prepared  the  shroud  for  their 
little  son.  But  the  afflicted  mother  would  not  aban- 
don hope.  "  My  poor  boy,"  she  exclaimed,  "  no,  he 
cannot  be  dead.  For  Thy  Blessed  Mother's  sake, 
O  Jesus,  save  my  child!  I  will  consecrate  him  to 
Thee  forever;  only  spare  him  this  terrible  death." 
Thus  she  prayed,  and  amid  the  pangs  that  tore  her 
heart  she  made  a  vow  to  present  a  memorial  offering 
to  the  well-known  shrine  of  the  Fourteen  Holy  Mar- 


510       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

tyrs,  if  God  would  turn  an  indulgent  ear  to  her  sup- 
plications. Suddenly  the  pale  lips  that  had  appar- 
ently been  sealed  in  death  were  seen  to  part  and  the 
child  was  heard  to  utter  the  sweet  word  "Mother." 
Thanks  to  Him  who  is  ever  ready  to  dry  the  tears  on 
the  cheeks  of  suffering  humanity,  the  boy  was  quickly 
restored  to  perfect  health ! 

As  soon  as  John  was  able  to  learn  he  was  sent  to 
St.  Alphonsus'  parochial  school;  and  at  the  age  of 
seven  he  was  chosen  to  serve  at  the  altar.  In  May, 
1867,  when  twelve  years  old,  he  received  his  first 
Holy  Communion.  One  morning,  the  following 
October,  after  the  lad  had  served  Mass  as  usual,  the 
Rev.  Elias  F.  Schauer,  C.  SS.R.,  a  relative  of  the 
family,  said  to  him:  "Johnny,  tell  your  parents  that 
the  Rev.  Father  Seelos  died  in  New  Orleans,  of 
yellow  fever,  and  that  you  must  take  his  place  as  a 
Redemptorist."  The  words  struck  home.  Previous 
to  this  incident  the  little  fellow  had  never  thought  of 
becoming  a  Redemptorist,  but  from  that  moment  on 
he  cherished  the  idea  until  it  became  a  reality. 

Shortly  afterwards  John  Beil  entered  the  Redemp- 
torist Preparatory  College  as  a  day-scholar;  but  in 
the  beginning  his  path  was  not  strewn  with  roses,  as 
Latin  proved  an  insurmountable  barrier  to  him.  One 
day  the  Rector  of  St.  Alphonsus'  Church  called  for 
the  boy's  father  and  said  to  him:  'You  had  better 
keep  John  at  home.  I  don't  think  he'll  ever  be  a 
priest."  Mr.  Beil,  disappointed,  informed  the  reverend 
director  of  the  college  of  the  advice  he  had  received. 
The  latter  replied:  "My  good  man,  you  need  have 
no  fears  for  John.  Let  him  board  at  the  college,  that 
he  may  have  more  time  to  devote  to  his  studies,  and 
all  will  be  right."  And  so  it  proved.  With  constant 
care  and  diligence  the  boy  thenceforth  kept  pace  with 
the  brighter  members  of  his  class  and  in  every  other 
respect  also  showed  himself  a  model  student. 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    511 

John  Beil  received  the  Redemptorist  habit  on  the 
Feast  of  St.  Alphonsus,  August  2,  1875,  at  Annap- 
olis, Md.  As  a  novice  he  was  noted  for  his  exact 
observance  of  every  rule  and  for  his  great  devotion 
to  the  Mother  of  Sorrows.  He  made  his  religious 
profession  on  August  2,  1876,  and  shortly  afterwards 
began  the  study  of  the  sacred  sciences  at  the  semi- 
nary, at  Ilchester,  Md.  During  the  epidemic  of  ty- 
phoid fever  which  broke  out  there,  in  1877,  he  showed 
himself  an  apostle  —  almost  a  martyr  —  of  charity. 
He  stood  by  his  comrades  who  had  been  stricken,  un- 
til he  himself  was  obliged  to  take  to  bed.  When  the 
fever  left  him  he  was  so  weak  that  for  a  time  he  had 
to  suspend  his  studies.  He  was  ordained  priest 
March  13,  1880,  by  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons, 
and  celebrated  his  First  Mass  in  the  chapel  of  the 
Preparatory  College,  at  Ilchester. 

In  June,  1881,  he  was  appointed  professor  at  the 
college,  which  had  just  been  transferred  to  North 
East,  Pa.  There  he  soon  became  a  great  favorite 
with  the  boys.  Seeing  in  him  a  man  of  real  and  rare 
kindness  of  heart  they  loved  and  idolized  him. 

His  second  novitiate  over,  in  February,  1884, 
Father  Beil  became  a  member  of  the  Boston 
mission-band.  While  serving  in  that  capacity,  New 
York,  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,  Ohio  and  Massachu- 
setts, in  this  country,  and  Prince  Edward  Island  in 
Canada,  were  the  scenes  of  his  apostolic  labors.  After 
some  time  he  was  assigned  to  the  Church  of  St. 
Peter,  St.  John,  N.  B.,  where  his  unctuous  preaching 
touched  all  hearts.  In  October,  1887,  he  was  sent 
back  to  Boston  and  at  once  made  Superior  of  the 
mission-band  of  the  New  England  States.  Where- 
ever  he  preached  missions  he  left  behind  him  endur- 
ing memorials  of  his  zeal,  of  his  eloquence  and  of  his 
charity.  When  in  some  of  these  parishes  the  an- 


512      THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

nouncement  of  his  death  was  made,  the  congregation 
burst  into  tears. 

In  February,  1888,  Father  Beil  was  appointed  Min- 
ister or  Procurator  of  the  Boston  house,  which  office 
carries  with  it  the  charge  of  the  temporal  affairs  of 
the  community.  This  position  dovetailed  perfectly 
with  his  kind  and  charitable  nature.  He  was  all  eyes 
to  see  the  wants  of  his  brethren  and  all  heart  to  sup- 
ply them. 

The  following  summer  the  health  of  Father  Rector 
Mclnerney  became  so  weak  as  to  necessitate  his  pro- 
longed absence  from  home.  Thus  the  whole  weight 
of  authority  and  responsibility  was  thrown  on  the 
shoulders  of  Father  Beil.  In  collecting  funds  for  the 
parochial  school,  and  especially  in  directing  the  mon- 
ster fair  that  was  held  to  help  defray  the  immense 
expenditure,  he  labored  to  the  point  of  utter  exhaus- 
tion. For  four  or  five  months  before  the  fair  opened 
he  was  busy  everywhere,  superintending  everything, 
even  the  smallest  details.  When  the  fair  had  actually 
begun  he  denied  himself  all  rest.  During  the  day  he 
was  engaged  in  preparing  for  the  evening;  when  even- 
ing came  he  was  on  hand  to  see  that  everything  went 
well.  In  view  of  the  generosity  of  the  people  he 
yielded  to  the  entreaties  of  various  officials  of  the  fair 
and  extended  it  beyond  the  original  date,  thus  pro- 
longing his  agony  of  suspense,  his  loss  of  sleep,  his 
care  and  anxiety  from  a  thousand  and  one  causes. 
The  fair  was  a  brilliant  success.  Father  Beil  realized 
a  large  sum  of  money,  but  he  ruined  his  health.  Not 
long  afterwards  he  began  to  complain  of  insomnia 
and  of  loss  of  appetite.  The  doctor  declared  that  he 
was  threatened  with  nervous  prostration.  This  attack 
was  his  death-knell  in  the  distance.  But  Father  Beil 
was  a  brave  man  and  by  sheer  force  of  will  he  sus- 
tained his  sinking  physical  powers.  His  magnifi- 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    513 

cent  courage  enabled  him  to  rally,  and  for  a  while  he 
appeared  as  rugged  as  of  old,  but  in  reality  his 
strength  had  been  forever  sapped;  however,  he  con- 
tinued to  perform  his  duties  as  devotedly  as  ever. 

Father  Beil  did  noble  work  as  Spiritual  Director 
of  the  Single  Men's  Branch  of  the  Holy  Family 
Association.  Not  only  their  eternal,  but  their  tem- 
poral interests  also  lay  close  to  his  heart.  He  over- 
looked nothing  that  tended  to  draw  them  more  closely 
to  Christ,  the  Exemplar  of  Manhood. 

In  the  summer  of  1890  four  or  five  Fathers  were 
simultaneously  removed  from  Boston  to  other  fields 
of  labor.  This  circumstance  brought  added  burdens 
to  Father  Beil,  especially  the  charge  of  the  Sunday 
school.  On  Wednesday,  July  16,  he  took  the  teach- 
ers on  an  excursion  to  Nantasket  Beach.  It  was  an 
excessively  hot  day.  From  morning  till  night  he  was 
busy  ministering  to  the  wants  of  his  guests,  and  when 
the  time  came  to  board  the  boat  homeward  bound  he 
was  fairly  dripping  with  perspiration.  As  he  sat  in 
the  bow  of  the  vessel,  he  remarked  to  one  of  the 
teachers:  "How  cold  it  has  become!  I  am  quite 
chilled.  Next  time  I  shall  bring  my  overcoat." 

The  next  day  he  felt  unwell.  On  Friday  evening, 
although  there  was  no  improvement  in  his  condition, 
he  dragged  himself  to  the  confessional.  While  there 
engaged,  he  was  called  to  attend  a  sick  person,  and 
though  the  shadow  of  death  was  upon  him,  he  cheer- 
fully responded  to  the  summons.  The  next  morning 
he  was  in  terrible  pain  and  was  unable  to  rise  from 
bed.  The  doctor  who  was  called,  saw  that  the  patient 
was  a  very  sick  man,  and  a  consultation  was  held.  The 
verdict  was  that  Father  Beil  could  not  recover.  The 
irrevocable  decree  had  gone  forth  from  the  Most 
High  God  that  this  noble  priest  must  die.  At  nine 
o'clock  on  Monday  night,  the  attending  physician 


514       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

noticed  signs  of  approaching  death.  He  at  once  noti- 
fied the  Rector,  Father  Frawley,  who  broke  the  news 
as  gently  as  possible  to  the  stricken  man.  Not  in  the 
least  alarmed,  Father  Beil  calmly  said:  "May  the 
will  of  God  be  done."  Then  turning  to  the  doctor, 
he  said  with  a  smile :  "  Doctor,  you  need  not  have  been 
afraid  to  tell  me,  for  I  do  not  fear  death."  The  last 
rites  of  the  Church  were  administered  to  him,  but, 
owing  to  constant  vomiting,  he  was  unable  to  receive 
the  Holy  Viaticum.  Sustained  and  soothed  by  his 
perfect  resignation  to  the  will  of  God,  he  answered 
the  prayers  for  the  dying  with  a  firm  unfaltering 
voice.  With  serene  joy  of  soul,  he  then  renewed  his 
vows,  and  at  the  conclusion  of  that  touching  cere- 
mony, remarked  to  one  of  the  bystanders:  "I  never 
thought  it  was  so  sweet  to  die  in  the  Congregation." 
Shortly  after  midnight,  Father  Beil  called  his  Supe- 
rior to  his  bedside,  and  said:  "Father  Rector,  if  I 
have  ever  offended  or  scandalized  anyone,  I  beg  his 
pardon,  and  hope  he  will  forgive  me."  Those  were 
his  last  words  ever  spoken  to  mortal  ear.  How  well 
they  portray  his  admirable  spirit  of  charity  and  of 
humility !  In  a  few  minutes,  the  agony  of  death  was 
upon  him,  and  in  the  early  morning  hours  of  Tues- 
day, July  22,  the  beautiful  soul  of  the  Rev.  John 
Beil,  radiant  with  the  grace  of  ordination,  sped 
heavenward  to  the  bosom  of  the  Great  High  Priest. 

"Father  Beil  is  dead."  Such  was  the  sad  word 
that  was  passed  from  house  to  house  throughout  the 
parish  on  that  bright  July  morning.  Fervent  prayers 
had  ascended  to  the  throne  of  God  by  day  and  by 
night  since  the  first  signs  of  danger  had  been  noticed ; 
several  Masses  had  been  said,  and  as  the  Forty 
Hours'  Devotion  was  in  progress  at  the  time,  it  is 
estimated  that  more  than  a  thousand  Communions 
had  been  offered  up  to  Almighty  God  for  the 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    515 

recovery  of  the  beloved  priest.  When,  therefore,  the 
hopes  of  the  parishioners  had  been  shattered  by  his 
death,  their  sorrow  knew  no  bounds.  Women, 
children,  and  even  stout-hearted  men  were  seen 
shedding  tears  in  church,  on  the  street,  or  at  their 
homes. 

The  funeral  was  held  on  Thursday,  July  24,  at  ten 
o'clock.  The  celebrant  of  the  Mass  was  the  Rev. 
Joseph  Henning,  C.  SS.R.,  Rector  of  St.  Mary's 
Church,  Annapolis,  assisted  by  the  Rev.  Augustine 
Mclnerney,  C.SS.R.,  Rector  of  St.  Patrick's 
Church,  Toronto,  as  deacon,  and  the  Rev.  Patrick  H. 
Barrett,  C.SS.R.,  Superior  of  St.  Clement's  Col- 
lege, Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y.,  as  subdeacon.  The 
eulogy  was  pronounced  by  the  Rev.  William  G. 
Luecking,  C.SS.R.,  Prefect  of  Students  at  Ilches- 
ter,  Md.,  a  classmate  ®f  the  deceased.  The  mortal 
remains  of  Father  Beil  were  laid  to  rest  in  Calvary 
Cemetery. 

The  Rev.  John  Beil  was  a  splendid  type  of 
Redemptorist  priest.  If  ever  a  man  loved  his  voca- 
tion and  strove  conscientiously  to  realize  all  its 
ideals,  it  was  he.  He  was  one  of  whom  the  great  St. 
Alphonsus  could  truly  say,  "  This  is  my  beloved  son, 
in  whom  I  am  well  pleased."  He  revered  every 
thread  of  his  religious  habit,  and  beneath  it  he  carried 
a  heart  like  in  all  things  to  that  of  the  illustrious 
Ligouri.  Father  Beil's  priestly  bearing  and  deport- 
ment were  simply  the  reflection  of  the  priestly  virtues 
which  adorned  his  soul.  Those  who  were  privileged  to 
know  him  will  always  hold  him  in  loving  remem- 
brance, and  in  the  history  of  the  Mission  Church,  his 
name  is  written  in  letters  of  gold. 


516       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


THE  REV.  MICHAEL  GATES,  C.  SS.  R. 

The  Rev.  Michael  Gates  was  born  August  27, 
1839,  in  County  Roscommon,  Ireland.  When  a 
youth  he  came  to  America,  and  cast  his  lot  in  New 
Orleans,  where  he  secured  employment  as  a  teacher. 
Here  he  came  in  contact  with  the  Redemptorist 
Fathers,  who  quickly  perceiving  his  admirable  quali- 
ties of  mind  and  of  heart,  gave  him  the  greatest 
encouragement  when  he  applied  for  admission  into 
the  Congregation.  In  1860  he  made  his  religious  pro- 
fession, and  in  1870  was  ordained  priest. 

His  first  field  of  labor  was  in  New  York  City, 
where  his  zeal  shone  conspicuously.  In  1874  he  was 
sent  to  Quebec,  and  the  following  year  to  Boston, 
where  for  nine  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  mis- 
sion-band. In  1884  he  was  transferred  to  An- 
napolis, and  in  1890  was  appointed  Rector  of  St. 
Peter's  Church,  St.  John,  N.  B.  At  the  expiration 
of  his  term  of  office,  he  was  again  attached  to  the  Mis- 
sion Church,  where  he  remained  until  his  death. 

For  a  great  many  years  Father  Gates  had  suf- 
fered from  Bright's  disease,  but  mindful  only  of  his 
Father's  business,  he  fulfilled  every  duty  as  perfectly 
as  if  in  possession  of  robust  health.  Finally,  however, 
on  January  18,  1897,  early  in  the  morning,  he  com- 
pletely collapsed,  and  the  last  rites  of  the  Church 
were  administered  to  him.  The  doctor  said  he  was 
beyond  all  medical  aid.  Uremic  poisoning  brought 
on  a  state  of  coma  from  which  he  never  rallied.  At 
2  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of  the  20th,  he  died  a 
calm  and  peaceful  death.  The  last  words  that  fell 
from  his  lips  were,  "God  bless  you;  you  are  all  so 
kind." 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER   517 

The  funeral  took  place  on  Saturday,  January  23, 
at  10 :00  A.  M.  His  Grace  Archbishop  Williams  pre- 
sided at  the  Mass,  and  sixty-one  priests,  secular  and 
Redemptorist,  were  present  in  the  sanctuary.  The 
celebrant  was  the  Rev.  Michael  Corduke,  C.  SS.R., 
the  deacon,  the  Rev.  William  White,  C.  SS.R.;  the 
subdeacon,  the  Rev.  Thomas  Galvin,  C.  SS.R.  The 
Rev.  Michael  J.  Sheehan,  C.  SS.R.,  delivered  the 
funeral  oration.  His  Grace  pronounced  the  last 
absolution.  The  funeral  corfege  extended  for  blocks 
and  blocks,  and  hundreds  of  mourners  followed  the 
corpse  to  the  grave.  Father  Gates  was  buried  in 
Calvary  Cemetery. 

The  Rev.  Michael  Gates  was  the  soul  of  charity. 
No  matter  how  much  it  cost  him,  he  was  always 
ready  to  do  favors  for  others.  He  was  also  one  of 
the  most  unassuming  of  men;  in  fact,  his  humility 
kept  steady  company  with  his  charity.  Whenever 
he  was  praised,  he  simply  smiled  an  incredulous  smile, 
and  said  in  Irish,  "  Na  bach  lish,"  "  Oh,  don't  mind 
that." 

On  April  8,  1895,  twenty-five  years  had  passed 
since  he  had  been  ordained  priest.  Father  Frawley, 
who  was  then  Rector,  wished  to  make  the  day 
memorable  in  the  history  of  the  parish,  and  with  that 
end  in  view  wrote  to  the  Very  Rev.  Father  Provincial 
for  permission  to  invite  the  Fathers  of  the  different 
houses  in  the  Province,  to  grace  by  their  presence  the 
happy  occasion  of  the  Silver  Jubilee.  Somehow  or 
other,  Father  Gates  heard  of  the  movement,  and 
begged  Father  Frawley  so  earnestly  and  so  per- 
sistently to  abandon  the  idea,  that  the  latter  finally 
yielded  to  his  entreaties.  But  this  was  not  all.  Father 
Gates  also  requested  his  Superior  to  make  no 
announcement  whatever  of  the  jubilee  either  to  the 
parishioners  or  to  the  members  of  the  community. 


518       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

His  wish  was  respected,  and  the  affair  passed  un- 
noticed, except  that  at  dinner  Father  Frawley  con- 
gratulated the  reverend  jubilarian  in  a  few  simple 
words.  Father  Gates  rose  in  his  place  and  said  merely, 
"  My  dear  Fathers  and  Brothers,  I  thank  you." 

On  another  occasion,  while  in  the  Public  Library 
with  a  brother  priest,  Father  Gates  picked  up  some 
books,  which,  according  to  the  regulations,  visitors 
were  not  allowed  to  handle  —  on  account  of  his  poor 
eyesight  he  had  not  noticed  the  sign  to  that  effect.  In 
a  very  curt  and  gruff  manner,  one  of  the  employees 
bade  him  put  the  books  down.  Father  Gates  quietly 
and  smilingly  did  as  he  was  told,  and,  thanking  the 
man  for  his  "kindness,"  shook  hands  cordially  with 
him.  The  understrapper  was  so  taken  back  by  the 
rare  humility  of  the  priest  that  he  remarked  to  a 
bystander,  "Well,  that  is  the  strangest  man  I  ever 
met!" 


THE  REV.  WILLIAM  O'CONNOR,  C.  SS.  R. 

On  July  27,  1899,  the  doctor  ordered  the  grand  old 
veteran  of  the  Mission  Church,  Father  O'Connor,  to 
be  taken  to  Carney  Hospital,  South  Boston,  as  the 
venerable  priest,  who  had  passed  the  scriptural  age  of 
threescore  and  ten,  had  been  unwell  for  some  time. 
Still  critically  ill,  he  was  brought  home  on  August  31, 
and  at  once  prepared  for  death  by  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Donohue,  C.  SS.R.  Nine  days  later,  September  9, 
at  7:30  P.  M.,  Father  O'Connor  took  his  place  in  the 
shining  ranks  of  the  just.  The  grief  of  his  fellow- 
religious  and  of  the  parishioners  over  his  death  was 
sincere  and  profound,  for  he  was  universally  regarded 
as  a  saint. 

William  O'Connor  was  born  in  County  Limerick, 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    519 

Ireland,  March  30,  1827.  At  the  age  of  21,  he  came 
to  this  country,  and  was  admitted  into  the  diocesan 
seminary  of  Cleveland,  where,  in  1851,  he  was 
ordained  for  the  diocese  by  its  Bishop,  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Amadeus  Rappe.  After  he  had  labored  for  more 
than  ten  years  with  edifying  zeal  and  marked  success 
in  various  places  in  Ohio,  Father  O'Connor  was 
prudently  advised  to  enter  a  religious  order.  Accord- 
ingly he  applied  for  admission  into  the  Congregation 
of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer.  He  was  accepted,  and 
sent  to  Cumberland,  Md.,  to  make  his  novitiate.  On 
June  14,  1863,  he  was  enrolled  among  the  Sons  of 
St.  Alphonsus. 

When  this  house  was  established,  in  1871,  Father 
O'Connor  was  transferred  here  from  New  York,  and 
thus  was  one  of  the  first  to  fling  to  the  Boston  breezes 
the  standard  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help.  After 
doing  "  The  Queen's  Work  "  here  for  four  years,  he 
was  assigned  to  St.  Patrick's  Church,  Quebec, 
Canada,  of  which  the  Redemptorists  had  just 
assumed  charge.  Six  years  later,  in  1881,  he  returned 
to  his  old  love,  Boston,  where  he  remained  for  more 
than  18  years  till  Our  Blessed  Mother  called  him 
home,  the  day  after  the  Feast  of  her  Nativity. 

During  his  long  stay  here,  he  labored  with  steady, 
unswerving  fidelity,  especially  in  the  confessional 
and  at  the  bedside  of  the  dying.  Wherever  there  was 
a  soul  to  be  saved,  there  Father  O'Connor  sped  "  as 
on  the  rush  of  Angels'  wings."  His  tender  and 
childlike  devotion  to  the  Mother  of  Perpetual  Help 
inspired  his  Superiors  to  intrust  to  him  the  conduct 
of  the  Wednesday  afternoon  exercises  at  the  Shrine. 
His  kind  and  compassionate  heart,  ever  prompt  to 
respond  to  the  woes  and  sorrows  of  afflicted  humanity, 
made  him  a  true  friend  and  father  to  the  tear-stained 
thousands  who  come  every  week  to  lay  their  burdens 


520       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

at  the  feet  of  the  Consoler  of  the  Afflicted.  His  name 
became  a  talisman  of  high  hope  all  over  the  city,  and 
was  blessed  and  revered  far  and  wide. 

The  constant  strain  which  his  unremitting  labors 
entailed,  at  last  began  to  tell  on  his  constitution,  and 
his  Superiors  were  forced  to  check  his  zeal,  but  they 
could  not  relieve  him  entirely  of  his  charge,  because 
of  the  confidence  the  people  had  in  his  prayers.  Nor 
did  he  himself  wish  to  relinquish  his  labor  of  love  for 
his  Heavenly  Mother,  so  long  as  he  could  raise  his 
consecrated  hand  to  bless  her  grief-laden  children. 
But  Nature  in  the  end  demanded  her  toll  and  Father 
O'Connor  was  forced  to  bed  —  to  rise  no  more.  May 
we  not  piously  believe  that  when  the  veil  was  break- 
ing, when  the  absolving  words  were  being  said  over 
him,  and  the  holy  oils  were  signing  and  sealing  him, 
our  sweet  Mother  Mary  was  at  his  side  to  breathe  on 
his  wasted  brow  the  breath  of  the  eternal  morning? 

Immediately  after  Father  O'Connor's  death, 
Father  Frawley  went  to  the  church  and  announced 
the  sad  news  to  the  people.  Many  of  the  faithful 
sobbed  aloud  when  they  heard  that  he  who  had  so 
often  dried  their  tears  was  now  no  more.  At  3:00 
P.M.,  September  11,  the  remains  of  the  dead  priest 
were  borne  to  the  church  by  the  members  of  the  com- 
munity, amid  the  mournful  chanting  of  the  Benedic- 
tus,  the  Miserere,  and  the  De  Profundis.  During  the 
entire  evening,  though  it  rained  heavily,  people  came 
from  all  parts  of  the  city  to  take  farewell  of  the 
saintly  priest  they  loved  so  dearly. 

At  9:00  A.  M.,  the  following  morning,  the  final 
obsequies  were  held.  The  Very  Rev.  Father  Provin- 
cial Luecking  was  celebrant  of  the  Mass;  the  Rev. 
Francis  X.  Miller,  C.  SS.  R.,  of  Toronto,  "deacon, 
and  the  Rev.  John  Klang,  C.  SS.R.,  of  Baltimore, 
subdeacon.  Seated  in  the  sanctuary  were  His  Grace 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER   521 

Archbishop  Williams,  Auxiliary  Bishop  Brady,  and 
upwards  of  sixty  priests.  Every  seat  in  the  church 
was  occupied  and  hundreds  were  standing  in  the 
aisles.  The  eulogy  was  pronounced  by  the  Rt  Rev. 
Mgr.  Magennis  of  Jamaica  Plain,  who  said  in  part : 

"Father  O'Connor  was  a  true  priest.  The  sanctuary  was 
his  dwelling-place,  the  altar  was  his  daily  refuge,  the  con- 
fessional was  his  home.  More  than  a  hundred  tongues,  were 
all  his  penitents  alive,  would  rise  up  as  one  today  and  call 
him  blessed.  I  have  known  him  intimately  during  all  the 
years  of  his  residence  in  this  parish,  as  intimately  as  one 
man  can  know  another,  and  I  am  sure  whereof  I  speak 
when  I  assert  that  a  saint  has  lived  among  Us  and  we  knew 
it  not.  Like  the  saints  of  whom  we  read  in  the  calendar  of 
the  Church,  his  holiness  of  life  was  better  known  to  God 
than  to  his  fellowmen.  He  was  faithful  and  true  to  all  the 
various  duties  of  his  priestly  office,  and,  even  when  failing 
health  might  have  legitimately  exempted  him  from  the  per- 
formance of  his  sacerdotal  functions,  by  almost  superhuman 
efforts  he  was  able  to  report  at  his  post  of  duty,  till  duty 
itself  became  for  him  a  physical  impossibility.  .  .  .  When 
asked  if  he  was  afraid  to  die,  the  brave  old  soldier  who  had 
taught  so  many  others  how  to  die,  smiled  at  the  thought  of 
fear,  and  replied,  "I  am  not  afraid  of  death,  because  I  rely 
upon  the  infinite  mercy  of  my  good  God."  How  familiar 
these  words  sound  to  those  of  us  who  have  knelt  at  his  feet 
as  penitents.  .  .  . 

*'He  is  now  dead,  but  he  has  left  behind  him  the  memory 
of  a  saintly  character.  His  best  monument  and  most  elo- 
quent eulogy  is  the  record  of  a  priestly  life,  with  every  duty 
fulfilled.  Though  the  echo  of  his  paternal  and  sympathetic 
voice  still  sounds  in  our  ears,  his  penitents  will  miss  his  pious 
and  earnest  exhortations  to  the  practice  of  virtue,  and  the 
wayward  and  sinful,  his  good  counsel  and  encouragement. 
You,  the  parishioners  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  will 
never  see  him  again,  never  again  hear  his  voice,  never  again 
receive  his  blessing.  But  as  long  as  you  live,  let  the  name  of 
Father  O'Connor  be  a  household  word  among  you,  and  held 
in  benediction.  You,  his  friends,  will  all  feel  his  loss  now 
that  he  is  dead,  and  regret  that  you  did  not  give  greater 
evidence  of  your  love  for  him,  while  he  was  yet  living  to 


522       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

appreciate  it.  But  his  friends  are  not  numbered  solely  by 
this  mourning  congregation;  in  every  parish  of  the  city  of 
Boston,  while  we  here  assembled  join  in  this  public  testi- 
monial to  his  many  praiseworthy  qualities,  prayers  are 
being  offered  for  the  eternal  repose  of  his  soul  and  frequent 
mention  made  of  good  Father  O'Connor. 

"Rest,  then,  dear  Father  O'Connor,  rest  in  peace  with 
your  God,  whom  you  served  so  faithfully  and  well,  mindful 
that  it  was  of  such  as  you  that  the  Great  High  Priest  Jesus 
Christ  said,  'Serve  me,  and  I  myself  shall  be  your  reward 
exceeding  great.' " 


THE  REV.  JOSEPH  MCGRATH,  C.  SS.  R. 

One  of  the  keenest  losses  that  the  community  was 
ever  called  on  to  sustain,  occurred  on  June  4,  1900,  in 
the  death  of  the  Rev.  Joseph  McGrath. 

He  was  stricken  with  appendicitis  on  June  1,  and 
the  following  day  his  condition  became  so  alarming 
that  two  specialists  were  called  in.  Their  decision 
was  that  he  should,  without  delay,  be  taken  to  the 
hospital  for  an  operation.  As  his  chances  of  recovery 
were,  in  any  case,  very  slim,  he  was  prepared  for 
death.  When  the  Father  who  administered  the  last 
Sacraments  informed  him  that  he  was  very  ill,  he 
expressed  entire  resignation  to  the  Will  of  God.  The 
sad  news  of  his  untimely  death  brought  sorrow  to 
every  home  in  the  parish.  Stricken  down  as  he  was, 
in  the  flower  of  his  age,  in  the  midst  of  the  great 
work  he  was  doing,  and  carried  off  after  only  a  few 
days'  illness,  his  death  came  as  a  stunning  blow,  and 
left  an  aching  void  in  the  hearts  of  all  who  knew  him. 

Joseph  McGrath  was  born  in  Dublin,  Ireland, 
February  17,  1862,  and  consequently  at  the  time  of 
his  death  was  only  a  little  more  than  38  years  of  age. 
Even  as  a  child  he  cherished  in  the  deep  recesses  of 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    523 

his  heart  the  desire  to  become  a  priest.  In  his  early 
teens  he  went  to  Belgium,  where  he  studied  the 
Humanities  at  a  Jesuit  College.  After  completing 
his  classical  course,  he  returned  to  Ireland  and  was 
admitted  to  the  famous  college  of  Maynooth,  where 
he  made  his  theology.  So  rapid  was  his  progress  and 
so  abundant  the  confidence  which  his  Superiors  had 
in  him,  that  they  allowed  him  to  be  ordained  when 
he  was  only  twenty-two  years  and  six  months  old. 
By  reason  of  his  brilliant  talents,  especially  his  ability 
as  a  theologian,  he  would  have  been  an  ornament  to 
the  Church  in  Ireland,  but  he  preferred  to  dedicate 
his  life  to  the  foreign  missions. 

About  the  time  of  Father  McGrath's  ordination, 
the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  of  Kingston,  Canada, 
visited  Maynooth,  and  the  young  priest  was  intro- 
duced to  him.  The  Archbishop  was  so  favorably  im- 
pressed by  his  learning  and  virtue,  that  he  adopted 
him  into  his  diocese.  For  six  years  Father  McGrath 
labored  with  eminent  success  in  that  section  of  the 
Master's  vineyard,  but  all  the  while  he  felt  within  his 
soul  the  call  to  embrace  the  religious  life. 

The  Rev.  Joseph  Wissel,  C.  SS.R.,  while  giving 
a  mission  in  the  archdiocese  of  Kingston,  was 
approached  by  the  brilliant  young  priest,  who  con- 
fided to  him  the  ambition  that  stirred  within  his 
heart.  The  old  missionary  encouraged  him  in  every 
way  possible,  and  directed  him  to  seek  admission  into 
the  Redemptorist  novitiate,  at  Annapolis,  Md.  On 
March  25,  1890,  Father  McGrath  was  invested  in 
the  livery  of  St.  Alphonsus,  and  one  year  later  pro- 
nounced his  vows  as  a  religious. 

His  first  appointment  was  to  the  Preparatory  Col- 
lege, at  North  East,  Pa.  In  1893  he  was  assigned 
to  the  mission-band  at  St.  Clement's  College,  Sara- 
toga Springs,  N.  Y.  In  the  capacity  of  missionary 


524      THE  GLOtOES  Qi1  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

as  well  as  of  professor,  his  labors  were  signally 
blessed  by  Almighty  God.  In  1898  he  was  attached 
to  the  Mission  Church,  where  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death  he  did  splendid  work,  and  endeared  himself  to 
all  by  his  kind  and  amiable  disposition.  He  was  in- 
terested chiefly  in  the  welfare  of  the  young  people, 
to  whom  his  death  was  a  distinct  personal  loss.  Every- 
body in  the  parish  was  his  friend,  but  he  took  special 
delight  in  the  confidence  of  the  young  men  and  the 
boys.  As  Spiritual  Director  of  the  St.  Alphonsus 
Association,  he  came  into  close  contact  with  them  and, 
strong  personality  that  he  was,  he  made  a  deep 
impression  on  them  by  his  lofty  character  and  high 
ideals.  At  their  meetings,  he  was  always  present  to 
guide  and  enlighten  them  by  his  sane  and  sage  coun- 
sel. It  was  in  no  small  measure  due  to  his  efforts  that 
the  Association  developed  so  wonderfully  and  re- 
ceived into  its  ranks  the  best  young  men  of  the  parish. 
The  little  ones  had  in  him,  as  Spiritual  Director  of 
the  Juvenile  Holy  Family,  a  bright  example  of  true 
Christian  virtue. 

As  a  preacher,  Father  McGrath  ranked  very  high. 
He  had  a  fine  pulpit  presence  and  was  as  fluent  in 
French  as  in  English. 

His  death  evoked  touching  tributes  from  the  dif- 
ferent societies  of  which  he  had  charge,  as  also  from 
the  Sisters  and  the  pupils  of  the  Notre  Dame 
Academy,  Roxbury,  whom  he  served  in  the  capacity 
of  confessor. 

The  funeral  was  held  June  7,  at  ten  o'clock.  The 
celebrant  of  the  Mass  was  the  Rev.  Charles  Schmidt, 
C.  SS.  R.,  of  the  Church  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer, 
N.  Y.;  the  deacon,  the  Rev.  Peter  Ward,  C.  SS.R., 
of  Toronto;  the  subdeacon,  the  Rev.  John  A.  Han- 
ley,  C.  SS.  R.,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  More  than  seventy 
priests  were  present  in  the  sanctuary.  The  Rev. 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER  525 

Joseph  Wissel,  C.  SS.R.,  delivered  the  eulogy,  in 
which  he  spoke  in  touching  terms  of  the  dead  priest's 
charity,  humility,  and  zeal  for  souls.  Father  McGrath 
was  buried  in  the  community  plot  in  Calvary 
Cemetery. 


THE  REV.  EUGENE  WALSH,  C.  SS.  R. 

On  July  17,  1905,  the  Rev.  Eugene  Walsh  died  at 
the  Carney  Hospital,  South  Boston,  as  the  result  of 
an  operation. 

Eugene  Walsh  was  horn  in  County  Sligo,  Ireland, 
November  14,  1835,  and  as  a  youth  came  to  this  coun- 
try. Having  resolved  to  become  a  priest,  he  began 
the  study  of  the  Humanities  at  Holy  Angels'  Col- 
lege, Niagara,  N.  Y.  When  that  institution  had  been 
destroyed  by  fire,  he  went  to  Cape  Girardeau,  but 
after  a  few  years  returned  to  Niagara  in  order  to 
finish  his  studies.  While  a  student  of  philosophy,  he 
applied  for  admission  into  the  Congregation  of  the 
Most  Holy  Redeemer,  and  was  invested  in  the 
religious  habit  at  Annapolis,  Md.,  October  15,  1867. 
The  following  year  he  made  his  religious  profession. 
On  June  6, 1872,  he  was  ordained  priest  at  St.  Peter's 
Church,  Philadelphia. 

A  few  months  later,  he  entered  the  ministry,  where 
by  his  deep  piety  and  genuine  simplicity  of  soul,  he 
won  many  a  soul  to  God.  Whether  engaged  in  parish 
work,  in  teaching,  or  in  giving  missions,  he  was 
always  the  same  faithful  religious,  doing  to  the  best 
of  his  ability  the  work  marked  out  for  him,  and  con- 
tributing to  the  happiness  of  those  associated  with 
him,  by  his  cheerful  and  kindly  disposition.  Self- 
sacrifice  was  the  dominant  note  in  the  Christian  har- 
mony of  his  character.  The  old  saying  that  "death 


526       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

changes  no  one,"  was  fully  verified  in  the  case  of 
Father  Walsh.  He  died  as  he  had  lived  —  in  intimate 
communion  with  Jesus  and  Mary.  Although  suffer- 
ing for  years  from  a  grave  malady,  he  continued  to 
labor  faithfully  until  the  summons  of  his  Divine  Mas- 
ter to  a  better  life  sounded  in  his  soul.  When  finally 
the  Angel  of  Death  beckoned  to  him  to  render  an 
account  of  his  stewardship,  his  reply  was,  "Behold, 
I  am  ready! "  When  those  who  had  known  him  well 
and  had  been  witnesses  of  his  many  virtues,  heard  of 
his  death,  they  said  instinctively,  "Blessed  are  the 
dead  who  die  in  the  Lord." 

About  50  priests  were  present  at  his  funeral,  which 
took  place  July  19,  at  10 :00  A.  M.  The  celebrant  of 
the  Mass  was  the  Very  Rev.  Father  Provincial 
Luecking;  the  deacon,  the  Rev.  Ferdinand  Bott, 
C.  SS.R.;  the  subdeacon,  the  Rev.  John  G.  Kissner, 
C.  SS.R.  The  eulogy  was  pronounced  by  Father 
Frawley.  The  interment  took  place  in  Calvary 
Cemetery. 


THE  REV.  BERNARD  CULLEN,  C.  SS.  R. 

The  Rev.  Bernard  Cullen  died  suddenly  of  heart 
failure,  September  23,  1907.  About  4:15  P.  M., 
when  Father  Grogan  was  about  to  leave  his  room,  he 
saw  Father  Cullen  lying  on  his  face  in  the  corridor. 
The  dying  man  was  at  once  carried  to  Father  Gro- 
gan's  room;  he  was  unconscious,  and  thick  clotted 
blood  was  oozing  from  his  nose  and  mouth.  Father 
Grogan  quickly  administered  the  last  Sacraments, 
and  while  the  members  of  the  community  were  recit- 
ing the  prayers  for  the  dying,  Father  Cullen  breathed 
his  last. 

The  Rev.  Bernard  Cullen  was  born  December  4, 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    527 

1860,  in  County  Cavan,  Ireland.  When  a  young 
man  he  came  to  America,  and  not  long  afterwards 
received  the  Redemptorist  habit  at  Annapolis,  Md., 
August  27,  1886.  The  following  year  he  pronounced 
his  vows,  and  was  ordained  priest  December  7,  1892, 
at  Ilchester,  Md.,  by  His  Eminence  Cardinal 
Gibbons. 

He  began  his  ministerial  career  in  February,  1894, 
at  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help, 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  In  1895,  he  was  transferred  to  the 
Mission  Church,  where  for  nine  years  he  was  occupied 
in  giving  missions  in  all  parts  of  New  England.  He 
was  an  enthusiastic  and  tireless  worker  who  toiled 
and  spent  himself  like  a  true  apostle.  So  unremitting 
were  his  labors  that  at  length  his  health  began  to  fail, 
and  he  was  sent  to  Quebec,  in  order  to  recuperate. 
After  some  time,  he  regained  his  strength,  and  was 
assigned  to  St.  Clement's  College,  Saratoga  Springs, 
N.  Y.  While  stationed  there,  his  missionary  engage- 
ments carried  him  as  far  north  as  Canada,  and  as  far 
south  as  the  Carolinas.  In  the  course  of  time,  his 
health  again  broke  down,  and  in  January,  1907,  he 
was  sent  back  to  Boston.  Although  severely  handi- 
capped by  his  weakened  condition,  he  labored  with- 
out sparing  himself,  until  at  last  he  succumbed. 

Father  Cullen's  funeral  took  place  September  20, 
at  10:00  A.M.  The  Rev.  Joseph  Hamelryckx, 
C.  SS.  R.,  of  Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y.,  a  classmate  of 
the  deceased,  was  celebrant  of  the  Mass;  the  Rev. 
Augustine  J.  Duke,  C.SS.R.,  of  St.  John,  N.  B., 
deacon;  and  the  Rev.  William  Crosby,  C.  SS.R.,  of 
New  York,  subdeacon.  Father  Sheehan,  who  for 
years  had  been  a  companion  of  the  dead  priest  on  the 
missions,  delivered  the  eulogy.  Father  Cullen's  mor- 
tal remains  rest  in  Calvary  Cemetery. 


528       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


THE  REV.  ANDREW  WYNN,  C.  SS.  R. 

Father  Wynn  received  the  reward  of  his  labors 
and  sufferings  July  13,  1914.  Three  weeks  before, 
he  had  contracted  a  heavy  cold,  which  on  July  10 
developed  into  pneumonia.  Two  days  later  the  doc- 
tor pronounced  his  case  hopeless,  and  the  last  rites 
of  the  church  were  administered  by  Father  Hayes,  in 
the  presence  of  the  entire  community.  As  death 
seemed  a  matter  of  moments  only,  Fathers  Hayes, 
O'Leary,  and  Clark  remained  at  the  bedside  during 
the  entire  night.  At  5 :30  A.  M.,  on  the  13th,  Father 
Wynn  peacefully  expired.  His  death  was  announced 
to  the  people  by  the  tolling  of  the  bell,  which  brought 
many  to  Mass,  in  order  to  pray  for  the  repose  of  his 
soul.  For  Father  Wynn  death  had  no  terrors,  be- 
cause for  more  than  fifty  years,  he  had  lived  as  if 
every  day  were  to  be  his  last.  When  told  that  his 
life's  thread  was  spun,  he  simply  said,  "  God's  Will 
be  done.  If  it  please  God,  I  am  ready  to  die."  From 
that  moment  forward,  with  fervent  prayers  on  his 
lips,  he  calmly  awaited  his  dissolution.  The  esteem 
and  affection  in  which  he  was  held  were  evidenced  by 
the  crowds  that  flocked  to  the  church  to  view  the  re- 
mains and  to  offer  prayers  for  his  eternal  rest. 

Father  Wynn  was  buried  on  July  16.  The  Funeral 
Mass  was  celebrated  by  the  Very  Rev.  Father  Pro- 
vincial Schneider;  the  Rev.  Francis  T.  Parr, 
C.  SS.R.,  Rector  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.,  was  deacon,  and  the  Rev.  Thomas  Galvin, 
C.SS.R.,  Rector  of  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of 
Perpetual  Help,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  subdeacon. 
According  to  the  last  wish  of  the  deceased,  there  was 
no  eulogy,  but  before  giving  the  final  absolution, 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    529 

Father  Provincial  made  an  appeal  to  the  congrega- 
tion for  prayers  for  the  dead  priest.  Owing  to  his 
absence  in  Europe,  His  Eminence  Cardinal  O'Con- 
nell  was  unable  to  attend  the  obsequies.  The  Rt. 
Rev.  Bishop  Anderson  also,  because  of  a  previous 
engagement,  was  prevented  from  being  present. 
However,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Monsignori  Farrell,  Supple, 
and  Moriarity,  and  about  70  other  priests,  secular 
and  Redemptorist,  were  seated  in  the  sanctuary.  The 
casket  was  borne  to  the  hearse  by  the  Rev.  Fathers 
Nolen,  Toohey,  O'Leary,  O 'Regan,  Conley,  and 
Dugal,  all  sons  of  the  Mission  Church  Parish.  The 
services  at  the  grave  were  conducted  by  the  Very 
Rev.  Father  Provincial. 

The  Rev.  Andrew  Wynn  was  born  in  Baltimore  on 
the  Feast  of  the  Annunciation,  March  25,  1847.  He 
made  his  religious  profession,  March  27,  1864,  and 
on  March  30,  1872,  was  ordained  priest  at  Ilchester, 
by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Becker  of  Wilmington,  Del. 

After  laboring  zealously,  both  at  home  and  on 
the  missions,  Father  Wynn  was  entrusted  with 
the  office  of  Superior  first  at  Annapolis,  Md., 
and  later  on  in  Toronto,  Canada.  In  1884  he  was 
assigned  to  the  Boston  community,  where  by  his 
patience  and  charity  he  riveted  the  affections  of  the 
parishioners  and  of  his  fellow-religious.  Two  years 
later  he  was  transferred  to  St.  John,  N.  B.  He  re- 
turned to  Boston  in  1901,  and  from  then  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  was  engaged  in  parochial  duties. 

Father  Wynn  was  a  man  of  great  heart.  At  the 
time  of  his  death,  one  who  knew  him  well  wrote : 

"A  sweeter,  kinder,  or  more  tender-hearted  priest  never 
walked  this  earth.  Who  ever  appealed  to  him  in  sorrow,  be 
that  sorrow  what  it  might,  without  finding  comfort  and  con- 
solatio'h,  if  not  complete  relief?  Truly,  Father  Wynn  was 
a  close  imitator  of  his  Divine  Master,  the  Great  High 


580       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Priest.  And  if  it  be  true  that  to  live  in  hearts  we  leave 
behind  is  not  to  die,  then,  Father  Wynn  .  .  .  lives.  His 
memory  shall  abide  in  the  hearts  of  his  countless  confreres 
and  loved  ones,  until  time  dissolves  into  eternity.  God 
grant  that  our  end  be  like  unto  his." 


BROTHER  GEORGE  MEYER,  C.  SS.  R. 

George  Meyer  was  born  in  Germany,  October  1, 
1833,  and  professed  July  22,  1861.  He  was  assigned 
to  the  Boston  community,  July  5,  1883.  For  some 
time  before  his  death,  his  health  had  been  poor,  but 
his  condition  was  not  so  serious  as  to  cause  appre- 
hension. To  the  very  day  of  his  death,  he  performed 
his  customary  tasks,  but  about  noon,  he  was  seen  to 
totter,  and  was  assisted  to  his  room  by  Father 
Rathke.  The  doctor  declared  that  the  Brother  was 
suffering  from  an  affection  of  the  heart.  About  10 :00 
P.  M.  he  died,  on  Good  Friday,  April  19,  1889. 

The  funeral  took  place  three  days  later.  The  Rev. 
Aloysius  Lutz,  C.  SS.  R.,  sang  the  Mass,  assisted  by 
the  Rev.  Father  Lambert,  C.  SS.  R.,  as  deacon,  and 
the  Rev.  Father  Sheehan,  C.  SS.  R.,  as  subdeacon. 
At  the  grave,  in  Calvary  Cemetery,  Father  Mclner- 
ney  pronounced  the  last  absolution. 


BROTHER  Louis  KIRCHNER,  C.  SS.  R. 

Bro.  Louis,  while  on  his  way  to  Nantasket  Beach, 
was  accidently  shot  during  target-practice  on  Long 
Island,  in  Boston  Harbor. 

On  July  9,  1901,  he  and  Bro.  Terence  left  Boston 
on  the  2:30  P.  M.  boat  for  the  beach,  in  order  to 
make  arrangements  for  a  picnic  for  the  members  of 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    531 

the  choir.  As  the  boat  drew  abreast  of  Long  Island, 
they  were  standing  about  10  feet  in  front  of  the 
cabin,  when  Bro.  Louis  suddenly  gave  a  sharp  cry 
and  placed  his  hand  to  his  right  side.  When  assisted 
into  the  cabin  he  said,  "  I  am  shot."  At  Pemberton 
he  was  removed  to  the  boat  bound  for  Boston,  where 
he  was  taken  immediately  to  the  Massachusetts  Gen- 
eral Hospital.  Fathers  Frawley,  Gareis  and  Dono- 
hue  hastened  to  his  bedside.  An  operation  was  at 
once  performed,  and  it  was  discovered  that  the  intes- 
tines had  been  pierced  in  seven  places.  The  doctors 
gave  little  hope  of  the  unfortunate  man's  recovery 
and  Father  Donohue  administered  the  last  Sacra- 
ments. The  next  morning  Bro.  Louis  rallied  to  some 
extent,  and  it  began  to  look  as  if  he  had  a  fighting 
chance  for  life,  but  on  July  12,  at  7 :45  P.  M.,  he  died. 

Bro.  Louis  (Valentine  Kirchner)  was  born  in  Bal- 
timore, July  21,  1864.  He  was  graduated  from  St. 
Michael's  parochial  school  at  the  age  of  15,  and  was 
professed  July  2,  1885.  For  some  years  he  was  sta- 
tioned at  St.  Patrick's  Church,  Toronto,  Canada;  and 
in  1899  was  assigned  to  the  Mission  Church,  where 
he  served  as  sacristan.  He  was  a  man  of  great  in- 
dustry and  of  fine  talent.  His  cheerfulness  and  res- 
ignation in  the  face  of  death  were  a 'source  of  edifica- 
tion to  all  his  religious  brethren. 

The  celebrant  of  the  funeral  Mass,  July  15,  was 
the  Very  Rev.  Father  Provincial  Luecking;  the  dea- 
con, the  Rev.  Matthew  Bohn,  C.  SS.  R.;  the  sub- 
deacon,  the  Rev.  Francis  G.  Fischer,  C.  SS.  R. 
Father  Donohue  paid  a  touching  tribute  to  the  de- 
ceased. Bro.  Louis  was  buried  in  Calvary  Cemetery. 

It  is  fitting  to  recall  here  the  memory  of  certain 
noble  Redemptorist  priests,  who,  while  they  did  not 
die  as  members  of  the  Boston  community,  neverthe- 


532       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

less  labored  here  in  bygone  days  and  left  behind 
them  the  precious  heritage  of  good  deeds  and  of  holy 
lives. 


THE  MOST  REV.  WILLIAM  H.  GROSS,  C.  SS.  R. 

The  Most  Rev.  William  H.  Gross,  Second  Supe- 
rior of  the  Mission  Church,  was  born  in  St.  Vincent's 
Parish,  Baltimore,  June  12,  1837.  His  grandpar- 
ents, who  were  Alsatians,  settled  in  that  city  before 
the  Revolutionary  War.  In  September,  1850,  he  en- 
tered St.  Charles's  College,  Ellicott  City,  Md., 
where  he  showed  himself  a  fine  type  of  boy — bright, 
open,  frank,  kind,  full  of  life  and  energy,  yet  sincere- 
ly pious  and  virtuous.  Such  sterling  qualities  natu- 
rally made  him  a  great  favorite  with  his  fellow-stu- 
dents and  won  for  him  the  affectionate  regard  of  his 
Superiors. 

During  his  happy  student  days  at  St.  Charles's 
College  William  H.  Gross  felt  the  first  promptings  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  become  a  Redemptorist.  In  order 
tc  make  sure  of  his  vocation  he  sought  the  guidance 
and  direction  of  the  saintly  Father  Seelos,  C.  SS.  R., 
at  that  time  Rector  of  St.  Alphonsus'  Church,  Balti- 
more. The  good  priest  advised  the  brilliant  boy  to 
obey  without  delay  the  call  of  God,  and  the  latter 
forthwith  applied  for  admission  into  the  Congrega- 
tion of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer;  he  had  the  happi- 
ness of  being  received  by  the  Very  Rev.  George  Ru- 
land,  at  that  time  Provincial,  who,  on  March  25,  1857, 
invested  him  in  the  religious  habit  at  Annapolis,  Md. 

As  a  novice  William  H.  Gross  quickly  grasped  the 
fundamentals  of  the  religious  life  and  faithfully  mir- 
rored them  in  his  character  and  conduct.  His  soul 
was  an  illuminated  manuscript,  in  which  his  Novice 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    533 

Master  could  read  bright  examples  of  every  Chris- 
tian virtue.  But  before  he  had  completed  his  novi- 
tiate his  health  failed  to  such  an  extent  that  grave 
fears  for  his  recovery  were  entertained;  however, 
through  the  intercession  of  the  Blessed  Mother,  to 
whom  he  bore  the  tenderest  devotion,  he  was  ulti- 
mately restored  to  perfect  health.  Filled  with  a  joy 
caught  from  Heaven  he  made  his  religious  profes- 
sion on  April  4,  1858.  Immediately  afterwards  he 
began  his  seminary  course  at  Cumberland,  Md., 
where  his  former  director,  Father  Seelos,  was  his 
Superior  and  Prefect.  As  a  student  of  theology 
William  H.  Gross,  by  reason  of  his  great  talents, 
attained  easy  preeminence;  yet  at  the  same  time  he 
maintained  and  strengthened  the  spirit  of  piety  which 
distinguished  him  even  as  a  child.  On  March  21, 
1863,  with  nineteen  other  Redemptorist  clerics,  he 
was  ordained  priest  by  the  Most  Rev.  Francis  Pat- 
rick Kenrick,  Archbishop  of  Baltimore. 

For  two  years  after  his  ordination  Father  Gross 
was  stationed  at  Annapolis,  where  he  did  noble  work 
tending  to  the  spiritual  needs  of  the  wounded  and 
dying  Union  soldiers  in  the  hospitals  in  and  around 
the  city.  His  zeal  and  charity  embraced  the  impris- 
oned Confederate  soldiers  also  and  the  colored  peo- 
ple of  Anne  Arundel  County.  In  1866  he  was  as- 
signed to  the  new  mission-house  attached  to  St. 
Alphonsus'  Church,  N.  Y.  As  a  missionary  Father 
Gross  was  an  indefatigable  worker  as  well  as  a  highly 
gifted  preacher.  Within  seven  years  he  conducted 
missions  not  only  in  nearly  all  the  Eastern  States, 
but  also  in  South  Carolina,  Georgia,  Alabama  and 
Florida. 

In  1873,  as  elsewhere  told,  Father  Gross  was  con- 
secrated Bishop  of  Savannah.  "His  great  accom- 
plishments in  the  South  stand  as  living  monuments 


584       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

to  his  zeal,  piety  and  energy.  He  built  the  Cathedral 
of  Savannah;  St.  Joseph's  Infirmary,  in  charge  of 
the  Sisters  of  Mercy;  St.  Mary's  Orphan  Home;  St. 
Benedict's  Mission  and  School  for  colored  boys  at 
Skedony  Island,  and  many  other  religious  and  chari- 
table institutions.  During  the  twelve  years  of  his 
administration  the  Catholic  population  of  the  diocese 
was  increased  25,000."  When  he  went  to  Savannah 
the  South  was  still  suffering  from  the  ravages  of  the 
Civil  War,  but,  kindly  shepherd  that  he  was,  he  quick- 
ly bound  up  the  wounds  of  his  stricken  flock  and  min- 
istered to  them  with  touching  solicitude  and  fidelity 
until  a  brighter  day  dawned.  To  non-Catholics  as 
well  as  Catholics  he  was  an  Angel  of  Mercy  flitting 
to  and  fro  and  bringing  to  all  alike  the  "  good  tidings 
of  great  joy." 

In  1885,  shortly  after  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop 
Seghers  of  Oregon  City  had  resigned,  Bishop  Gross 
was  chosen  to  fill  his  place  and  in  May  of  that  year 
entered  upon  his  new  duties.  Under  Archbishop 
Gross's  administration  the  progress  of  Catholicity  was 
remarkable.  When  he  arrived  at  his  far- western  post 
he  found  20,000  Catholics,  29  priests,  19  churches,  25 
chapels  and  mission  stations,  10  academies  for  girls,  1 
orphanage  and  2  hospitals.  Within  a  period  of  thir- 
teen years,  owing  to  his  untiring  labors,  the  number 
of  Catholic  laity,  priests,  and  religious  institutions 
had  doubled.  In  his  frequent  journeys  throughout 
his  extensive  diocese,  which  comprised  21,398  sq. 
miles,  he  had  to  endure  many  hardships  and  priva- 
tions ;  still,  he  met  with  much  encouragement  and  con- 
solation. On  his  departure  for  Rome,  in  1889,  he  said 
in  response  to  an  address  from  the  laity:  "Four 
years  have  passed — years  of  labor  and  toil.  I  have 
traveled  on  horseback  and  in  buckboard,  and  camped 
out,  going  to  sleep  to  the  music  of  the  coyote's  howl 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    535 

and  under  the  broad  canopy  of  the  sky.  I  have  lec- 
tured to  non-Catholics  frequently  and  have  spoken 
to  audiences  where  there  were  few,  if  any  Catholics, 
and  have  always  been  cordially  and  hospitably 
treated." 

On  April  27,  1898,  His  Grace  had  the  sweet  con- 
solation of  celebrating  the  Silver  Jubilee  of  his  epis- 
copal consecration.  He  was  then  only  61 — compara- 
tively a  young  man — but  for  him  the  day  was  far 
spent,  and  his  face  was  turned  towards  the  setting 
sun.  The  labors  and  struggles  which  for  thirty-five 
years  had  been  his  daily  bread,  had  brought  on  heart 
trouble.  On  the  advice  of  his  physician,  in  the  au- 
tumn of  1898,  he  came  East,  in  order  to  breathe  again 
his  native  air.  He  stayed  with  the  Redemptorist 
Fathers  at  Ilchester  and  at  Annapolis,  Md.,  until  his 
condition  had  become  serious,  when  he  was  brought  to 
St.  Joseph's  Hospital,  Baltimore.  In  the  closing 
hours  of  his  life  the  beloved  prelate  showed  in  many 
touching  ways  that  beneath  his  episcopal  cross  and 
his  archiepiscopal  pallium  the  heart  of  a  true  Re- 
demptorist had  ever  beaten.  On  Nov.  14,  attended 
by  the  Rev.  Nicholas  Firle,  C.  SS.  R.,  Archbishop 
Gross  died  in  the  peace  of  the  Lord. 

The  following  day  the  body  was  removed  to  St. 
James's  Church,  where  it  lay  in  state  until  the  morn- 
ing of  the  funeral,  which  took  place  on  the  17th  from 
the  Baltimore  Cathedral.  At  8 :00  A.  M.  on  that  day 
a  High  Mass  of  Requiem  for  the  deceased  prelate 
was  sung  at  St.  James's  Church.  At  the  Cathedral 
His  Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons  celebrated  the 
Pontifical  Funeral  Mass.  The  deacons  of  honor  were 
the  Rev.  James  F.  Black,  and  the  Rev.  Adelhelm 
Odermott,  O.  S.  B.,  of  the  archdiocese  of  Oregon 
City ;  the  deacon  and  the  subdeacon  of  the  Mass  were 
the  Rev.  Joseph  C.  Hild,  C.  SS.R.,  and  the  Rev. 


536       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

John  B.  Hausser,  C.  SS.R.,  respectively,  of  the 
Redemptorist  Seminary  at  Ilchester,  Md.  The  Rev. 
Benedict  Neithart,  C.  SS.  R.,  of  St.  Michael's  Church, 
Baltimore,  delivered  the  eulogy.  After  dwelling  on 
the  lovable  character  of  the  deceased  archbishop, 
Father  Neithart  recounted  his  labors  in  Savannah 
and  in  Oregon,  pointing  out  that  on  one  mission  in 
the  former  place  he  had  made  thirty  converts.  The 
five  absolutions  were  performed  by  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Bishop  Chatard  of  Vincennes,  Ind.,  the  Very  Rev. 
William  G.  Luecking,  C.SS.R.,  Superior  of  the 
Baltimore  Province;  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Curtis, 
Auxiliary  to  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons;  the 
Very  Rev.  Daniel  Mullane,  C.SS.R.,  Superior  of 
the  St.  Louis  Province,  and  the  Most  Rev.  Arch- 
bishop Ryan  of  Philadelphia.  About  seventy  priests, 
secular  and  regular,  including  Dominicans,  Jesuits, 
Sulpicians,  and  Redemptorists,  were  present  in  the 
sanctuary. 

In  compliance  with  his  formal  request,  the  Most 
Rev.  Archbishop  Gross  was  buried  among  his  deceased 
Redemptorist  brethren  in  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer 
Cemetery,  Baltimore. 

"And  they  brought  him  home  to  the  home  he  blest, 

With  his  life  so  sweet  and  fair, 

He  blessed  it  more  in  his  deathly  rest — 

And  his  face  was  a  chiseled  prayer, 

White  as  the  snow,  pure  as  the  foam 

Of  a  weary  wave  on  the  sea, 

They  brought  him  back — and  they  placed  him  where 

He  would  love  at  last  to  be." 

— Rev.  Abram  J.  Ryan. 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER   53t 


THE  REV.  JOSEPH  WISSEL,  C.  SS.  R. 

Father  Wissel  was  born  at  Rabach,  Bavaria,  Feb- 
ruary 4,  1830.  His  family,  whose  faith  was  even 
mightier  and  grander  than  the  Bavarian  Alps  which 
towered  above  them,  gave  to  the  Church  a  bright 
galaxy  of  priests  and  of  religious.  One  brother, 
Raphael,  joined  the  Benedictines;  another,  John, 
became  Brother  Titus,  C.  SS.R.  One  of  his  sisters 
and  three  of  his  nieces  entered  the  Order  of  the  Good 
Shepherd,  while  a  nephew,  Joseph  Raphael  Wissel, 
following  in  the  footsteps  of  his  uncle,  became  a 
Redemptorist  priest,  and  was  until  recently  Rector 
of  St.  Boniface's  Church,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

In  1848,  Joseph  Wissel  came  to  the  United  States, 
and  four  years  later,  after  he  had  completed  his 
theological  studies,  was  invested  in  the  Redemptorist 
habit.  On  March  26,  1853,  he  made  his  religious 
profession,  and  a  few  hours  later,  was  ordained  priest 
at  St.  Peter's  Church,  Philadelphia,  by  the  Rt.  Rev, 
John  Nepomucene  Neumann,  C. SS.R.,  Bishop  of 
that  diocese.  By  a  happy  dispensation  of  Divine 
Providence,  Father  Wissel,  in  later  years,  was 
appointed  Postulator  of  the  Cause  of  Beatification  of 
the  saintly  prelate  who  had  raised  him  to  the  dignity 
of  the  priesthood. 

A  few  days  after  his  ordination,  Father  Wissel 
entered  the  ministry  as  a  member  of  the  newly  estab- 
lished community  at  Annapolis,  Md.,  where  he 
labored  zealously  for  a  year  and  a  half,  until  trans- 
ferred to  Baltimore.  After  serving  at  various  other 
posts,  always  with  honor  and  eclat,  he  came  to  Bos- 
ton, as  our  readers  know,  in  1871,  as  the  first  Superior 
of  the  Mission  Church.  By  that  time  he  was  a 


538       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

seasoned  missionary,  a  missionary  "to  match  the 
mountains."  Too  much  praise  cannot  be  given  to 
Father  Wissel  for  the  grand  work  he  did  on  the  mis- 
sions during  the  nine  years  he  was  a  member  of  this 
community.  When  he  left  here,  in  1880,  well  might 
the  Chronicler  write: 

"The  removal  of  Father  Wissel  is  a  great  loss  to  our 
community,  especially  because  of  his  work  on  the  missions. 
Good  Father  Wissel  was  best  and  most  favorably  known  to 
all  the  clergy  of  New  England  and  generally  headed  our 
missions,  being  frequently  asked  for  by  the  pastors." 

Almighty  God  bountifully  lengthened  out  the  days 
of  Father  Wissel,  and  during  the  fifty-nine  years  of 
his  ministry,  his  apostolate  extended  to  29  dioceses 
in  the  United  States:  North,  East,  South  and  West; 
and  to  Nova  Scotia,  New  Brunswick,  and  Prince 
Edward  Island  in  the  Dominion  of  Canada.  He  con- 
ducted more  than  1,000  missions  and  retreats,  and 
was  called  on  no  less  than  100  times  to  give  the 
spiritual  exercises  to  the  clergy.  In  his  long  career, 
he  traveled  about  400,000  miles,  offered  up  Holy 
Mass  nearly  22,000  times,  preached  over  10,000  ser- 
mons, and  heard  1,000,015  confessions.  Out  of  the 
rich  stores  of  his  vast  and  varied  experience,  he  wrote 
a  series  of  text-books  covering  the  whole  field  of  the 
Redemptorist  apostolate  —  a  work  which  is  as  timely 
and  practical  today  as  when  it  first  saw  the  light 
nearly  fifty  years  ago. 

Father  Wissel's  industry  was  amazing.  Hard  work 
was  as  natural  to  him  as  flight  is  to  the  eagle. 
Apparently  he  never  rested.  With  a  zest  and  enthusi- 
asm that  never  failed,  he  went  from  one  mission  to 
another  at  a  pace  that  fairly  takes  one's  breath  away. 
Another  striking  trait  of  his  character  was  his  apos- 
tolic fearlessness.  When  there  was  a  question  of  com- 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER   539 

bating  sin,  Father  Wissel  thundered  into  the  lists 
with  a  "spear  that  knew  no  brother."  He  always 
faced  the  enemy.  All  his  battle  scars  were  on  his 
breast,  none  between  his  shoulder-blades.  Fierce 
though  his  hatred  of  sin,  he  was  to  the  penitent  sinner 
as  merciful  as  St.  Alphonsus  himself.  Among  the 
servants  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  Father 
Wissel  was  a  knight  "  without  fear  and  without  re- 
proach." At  one  time  this  remarkable  man  was 
"  about  to  be  nominated  bishop  of  an  important  see, 
but  his  humility  thwarted  the  nomination." 

Father  Wissel  literally  wore  himself  out  in  the 
service  of  his  Divine  Master.  Even  when  he  had 
reached  the  patriarchal  age  of  82,  he  was  still  actively 
engaged  in  the  ministry.  While  giving  a  retreat  to 
the  Sisters  of  Christian  Charity  at  Wilkesbarre,  Pa., 
in  July,  1912,  he  was  stricken  with  paralysis,  and  on 
September  7  following,  he  garnered  into  the  heavenly 
storehouses  the  magnificent  harvest  he  had  reaped. 
Had  he  survived  about  seven  months  longer,  he  would 
have  celebrated  the  Diamond  Jubilee  of  his  ordination 
and  of  his  religious  profession.  Father  Wissel  lived 
to  be  the  Grand  Old  Man  of  the  Baltimore  Province, 
and  died  esteemed  and  honored  by  all  who  knew  him. 

The  writer  reverently  lays  this  wreath  of  immor- 
telles on  the  grave  of  the  sturdy  old  warrior  in  the 
Grand  Army  of  Christ's  anointed  priesthood,  the 
Rev.  Joseph  Wissel,  C.SS.R. 


THE  REV.  AUGUSTINE  FREITAG,  C.  SS.  R. 

Father  Freitag  was  born  at  Waake,  in  Hanover, 
Prussia,  July  1,  1836.  His  parents,  who  were  strict 
Lutherans,  brought  him  up  in  the  tenets  and  prac- 
tices of  that  faith;  and  even  as  a  child  he  imbibed  bit- 


540       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

ter  prejudices  against  the  Catholic  Church.  At  the 
age  of  16  he  came  to  this  country,  and  made  his  home 
with  an  uncle  in  Baltimore.  A  few  years  later  he 
became  acquainted  with  the  Archbishop  of  that  city, 
the  Most  Rev.  Francis  Patrick  Kenrick,  for  whom 
he  conceived  the  highest  admiration.  Gradually, 
young  Freitag's  antipathy  to  the  Church  softened; 
he  began  to  withdraw  from  Protestant  influences  and 
to  move  in  Catholic  circles.  In  1852,  when  he  took 
up  his  abode  in  Baltimore,  negro  slavery  was  there 
the  order  of  the  day;  and  not  only  the  blacks  them- 
selves, but  also  those  whites  who  had  any  dealings 
with  them  were  heartily  despised.  One  evening,  on 
going  to  the  convent  of  the  Oblate  Sisters  of  Provi- 
dence, who  were  all  colored  women,  Augustine 
Freitag  was  surprised  to  learn  that  the  Rev.  Thad- 
deus  Anwander,  C.  SS.  R.,  who,  of  course,  was  white, 
took  the  deepest  interest  in  the  nuns,  and  was  never 
tired  of  ministering  to  their  spiritual  wants.  This 
fact  made  a  profound  impression  on  the  mind  of  the 
young  Lutheran,  who  realized  forcibly  that  the 
Catholic  Church  draws  to  her  maternal  bosom  all 
men  without  regard  to  race  or  color.  The  light  of 
faith  began  to  dawn  on  his  soul,  and  shortly  after- 
wards he  was  received  into  the  Church  by  the  Most 
Rev.  Archbishop  Kenrick. 

But  another  great  blessing  was  in  store  for  him.  He 
had  come  in  contact  with  the  Redemptorist  Fathers 
and  had  been  so  charmed  with  their  manner  of  life 
that  he  sought  to  be  admitted  to  their  ranks.  His 
petition  was  readily  granted.  He  was  invested  in 
the  religious  habit  in  1856,  was  professed  the  follow- 
ing year,  and  ordained  priest  March  21,  1863,  by  the 
Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Kenrick.  In  the  course  of 
his  sacred  ministry  he  was  attached  to  various  houses 
of  the  Congregation,  among  which  were  the  Mission 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    541 

Church,  Boston ;  St.  Mary's  Church,  Annapolis,  Md., 
(of  which  he  was  Rector,  from  January  30,  1871,  to 
January  30,  1873,),  and  St.  Alphonsus'  Church, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  died. 

During  his  stay  of  nearly  seven  years  and  a  half  in 
Boston,  from  February  7,  1873,  to  July  14,  1880, 
Father  Freitag  was  venerated  and  loved  by  the 
people.  Even  to  this  day,  the  old  parishioners  like 
to  recall  his  memory.  One  gentleman  in  particular, 
whom  the  writer  interviewed,  said :  "  The  morning  I 
saw  Father  Freitag  leaving,  I  could  have  cried.  I 
could  not  have  felt  worse  had  it  been  my  own  brother 
who  was  going.  I  can  remember  Father  Freitag  bet- 
ter than  anyone  else.  He  was  a  convert,  and  I  think 
he  was  one  of  the  most  sincere  men  I  ever  met  in  my 
life.  He  told  us  that  on  one  occasion,  when  he  was 
a  young  fellow,  he  took  a  long  trip  by  boat,  and  was 
obliged  to  share  his  stateroom  with  another  man,  a 
Catholic,  but  at  the  time  he  would  have  preferred 
rather  to  lie  on  the  deck  than  go  into  a  room  with  a 
Catholic." 

It  is  said  that  Father  Freitag  was  a  descendant  of 
a  German  nobleman.  Be  that  as  it  may;  this  much, 
however,  is  certain:  he  was  one  of  Nature's  noblemen 
and  of  God's  heroes. 


THE  REV.  WILLIAM  LOWEKAMP,  C.  SS.  R. 

The  Rev.  William  Lowekamp,  C.  SS.  R.,  second 
Rector  of  the  Mission  Church,  was  born  at  Hunte- 
berg,  in  Hanover,  Germany,  October  17,  1837,  and 
at  the  age  of  14  came  to  America  with  his  parents. 
They  settled  in  Baltimore,  where  their  near  relatives 
—  two  other  families  who  bore  the  same  name  —  had 
preceded  them.  In  the  course  of  time,  six  of  the 


542       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

Lowekamps  became  Redemptorists — four  priests, 
and  two  lay  brothers.  They  lived  in  St.  Alphonsus' 
parish,  where  the  young  William  became  acquainted 
with  the  Fathers  and  conceived  the  idea  of  joining 
the  Congregation.  He  was  clothed  in  the  habit  of  St. 
Alphonsus,  October  15,  1855,  and  one  year  later  to 
the  day,  made  his  religious  profession.  On  March 
21,  1863,  he  was  ordained  priest  at  Annapolis,  Md., 
by  the  saintly  Archbishop  Francis  Patrick  Kenrick 
of  Baltimore. 

The  following  year,  Father  Lowekamp  began  his 
ministerial  career  at  St.  Philomena's  Church,  Pitts- 
burgh, whence  he  was  transferred  to  New  York,  in 
1866.  While  there  he  served  in  a  twofold  capacity 
—  as  assistant  in  the  parish  and  as  missionary.  In 
October,  1867,  he  was  assigned  to  St.  Peter's  Church, 
Philadelphia,  of  which  he  was  appointed  Rector  the 
following  summer;  here  he  filled  two  terms  success- 
fully, during  which  he  added  much  to  the  beauty  of 
the  church.  He  was  named  Rector  of  St.  Philomena's, 
Pittsburgh,  July  16,  1874.  On  December  9,  1875, 
he  was  sent,  as  Superior,  to  St.  Patrick's  Church, 
Quebec,  Canada,  and,  in  1877,  was  designated  Rector 
of  the  Mission  Church,  Boston.  In  1880,  he  returned 
to  Quebec,  where  he  was  Rector  until  1884.  In  May 
of  that  year,  he  was  chosen  Superior  of  the  Province 
of  St.  Louis,  an  office  which  he  held  for  nine  consecu- 
tive years — years  crowded  with  splendid  achieve- 
ments. During  his  incumbency,  he  established  the 
Preparatory  College  at  Windsor  Springs,  about  nine 
miles  from  St.  Louis,  and  also  founded  new  houses 
in  Chicago,  in  Denver,  and  in  other  cities  of  the  West. 
In  1893  he  was  appointed  Rector  of  St.  Alphonsus' 
Church,  St.  Louis,  where,  on  July  15,  1899,  after  a 
lingering  illness,  he  breathed  forth  his  soul  into  the 
hands  of  his  Creator. 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    548 

Father  Lowekamp  was  a  quiet,  deeply  pious  man 
who  was  esteemed  and  respected  by  the  people  of 
every  locality  in  which  his  lot  was  cast. 


THE  REV.  FRANCIS  X.  MILLER,  C.  SS.  R. 

Father  Miller,  the  last  of  the  Boston  pioneers  to 
die,  was  a  man  who  made  true  friends  wherever  he 
went.  When  he  came  to  the  Mission  Church,  in  1871, 
he  was  a  very  young  man,  not  yet  twenty-eight,  and 
not  two  years  ordained,  full  of  life  and  energy  —  a 
human  dynamo.  He  was  a  prince  of  mirth,  and  saw 
sunshine  everywhere.  He  always  kept  the  right  side 
and  the  bright  side  out,  and  made  the  service  of  God 
a  thing  of  joy.  He  was  an  eloquent  and  forceful 
preacher ;  most  of  his  sermons  were  full  of  TNT  and 
other  high  explosives.  He  used  to  begin  in  easy, 
suave  tones,  as  gentle  as  the  bleating  of  a  lamb,  but 
when  he  had  warmed  up  to  his  subject,  he  made  a 
noise  like  the  storming  of  Verdun.  A  few  years  ago, 
while  the  writer  was  on  a  mission  in  one  of  the 
suburbs  of  Boston,  an  old  resident  of  the  place  spoke 
to  him  of  a  certain  sermon  which  Father  Miller  had 
delivered  there  47  years  before.  "That  sermon," 
said  the  gentleman,  "  I  shall  never  forget,  as  long  as 
I  live.  It  stirred  the  parish  to  its  very  depths  and 
did  a  world  of  good."  Father  Miller,  at  the  time  of 
his  death,  February  25,  1919,  was  over  75  years  of 
age,  more  than  58  years  a  Redemptorist,  and  almost 
50  years  a  priest. 


544       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


THE  REV.  PETER  BAUSCH,  C.  SS.  R. 

Father  Bausch  was  an  exemplary  priest  and  fer- 
vent religious,  a  powerful  and  eloquent  missionary. 
He  was  born  in  Germany,  October  9,  1848,  and  at 
the  age  of  9  came  to  the  United  States  with  his 
parents,  who  established  their  home  in  Philadelphia. 
While  still  a  boy  he  became  a  Christian  Brother,  and 
so  striking  were  his  professorial  talents  that  at  the 
age  of  18  he  was  appointed  to  teach  the  highest  class 
in  one  of  the  leading  parochial  schools  in  New  York 
City.  But  Almighty  God  had  destined  him  for  the 
priesthood,  and  in  1867  he  entered  the  Redemptorist 
novitiate  at  Annapolis,  Md.  He  was  professed 
April  15,  1868,  and  ordained  at  Ilchester,  May  20, 
1875,  by  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Bay  ley  of  Balti- 
more. 

On  the  completion  of  his  studies,  in  1876,  Father 
Bausch  was  sent  to  Boston,  where  he  remained  until 
1881.  Under  a  rough  exterior  and  a  brusque  man- 
ner, he  hid  as  true  a  heart  as  ever  beat.  In  the  pulpit 
he  was  a  hard  hitter,  but  even  those  who  winced  under 
his  blows,  always  felt  a  secret  admiration  for  the  man, 
and  were  irresistibly  drawn  to  him.  During  his  five 
years  in  Boston,  he  did  a  tremendous  amount  of 
work,  and  made  a  lasting  impression  wherever  he 
labored.  As  late  as  1910,  a  Brooklyn  priest  spoke  to 
the  writer  in  the  highest  terms  of  a  sermon  that 
Father  Bausch  had  preached  in  Nova  Scotia,  as  far 
back  as  1879.  He  had  a  physical  makeup  which  lent 
itself  naturally  to  the  delivery  of  the  heavy  sermons. 
His  sermon  on  the  General  Judgment  was  about  as 
near  an  approach  to  the  reality  as  one  could  imagine. 

As  Rector  of  St.  Michael's,  Baltimore,  1886-1893, 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    545 

he  adorned  whatever  he  touched.  As  professor  at  the 
Preparatory  College,  North  East,  Pa.,  1894-1895, 
Father  Bausch  endeared  himself  to  the  boys,  who 
instinctively  saw  that  he  was  fully  worthy  of  their 
respect,  confidence  and  admiration.  Stricken  with 
Bright's  disease  at  the  early  age  of  47,  he  died  at  St. 
Clement's  College,  Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y.,  October 
29,  1895. 


THE  REV.  JOSEPH  HENNING,  C.  SS.  R. 

Father  Henning  was  born  in  New  York  City, 
November  17,  1838.  He  studied  the  classics  at  St. 
Francis  Xavier's  College  in  his  native  city;  was 
admitted  to  the  novitiate  in  1854;  professed  December 
10,  1855;  and  ordained  priest  at  Cumberland,  Md., 
June  11,  1862. 

For  the  next  two  or  three  years  he  preached  mis- 
sions with  singular  success  in  nearly  all  the  large 
cities  of  the  East.  In  1865  he  was  sent  to  England, 
where  the  Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer 
was  then  in  its  infancy.  During  his  two  years  abroad, 
he  was  occupied,  of  course,  in  missionary  work.  He 
was  Rector  of  St.  Patrick's,  Quebec,  1877-1880;  of 
the  Mission  Church,  1880-1887;  of  St.  Patrick's, 
Toronto,  1887-1890;  and  of  St.  Mary's,  Annapolis, 
1890-1893.  For  the  next  five  years  he  was  professor 
of  Moral  Theology  at  the  Redemptorist  Seminary, 
Ilchester,  Md.  While  thus  engaged,  he  was  chosen 
delegate  to  the  General  Chapter  of  the  Redemptorist 
Fathers,  held  in  Rome  in  1894.  From  1898  to  1907, 
he  was  again  Rector  of  St.  Patrick's,  Quebec.  In  the 
latter  year,  he  was  transferred  to  the  Church  of  the 
Immaculate  Conception,  N.  Y.,  where  he  spent  the 


546       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

evening  of  his  days,  till  his  death,  July  3,  1912.  He 
said  Mass  for  the  last  time  on  the  fiftieth  anniversary 
of  his  ordination. 


THE  REV.  AUGUSTINE  MC!NERNEY,  C.  SS.  R. 

Father  Mclnerney  was  born  in  New  York  City, 
November  8,  1843,  and  baptized  in  historic  old  St. 
Peter's  Church  on  Barclay  Street.  After  his  gradu- 
ation from  high  school  he  took  up  a  business  career. 
But  before  long  he  began  to  feel  that  he  was  not  in 
his  proper  sphere,  and  resolved  to  apply  for  admission 
into  either  the  Military  Academy,  at  West  Point,  or 
the  Naval  Academy,  at  Annapolis.  When  about  to 
enter  the  former  institution,  he  providentially 
attended  a  mission,  during  which  he  was  inspired  to 
embrace  the  religious  life.  He  was  to  be  a  soldier, 
not,  indeed,  of  any  temporal  ruler,  but  of  the  Eternal 
King,  Christ  the  Lord. 

Spurred  on  by  high  aims  and  animated  by  a  noble 
purpose,  Augustine  Mclnerney  sought  membership 
in  the  Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer. 
Because  of  his  sterling  character  and  distinguished 
talents,  he  was  readily  received,  and  on  December  8, 
1867,  made  his  profession  at  Annapolis,  Md.  He  was 
ordained  priest  May  20,  1875,  at  Ilchester,  by  the 
Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Bayley  of  Baltimore. 

When  he  had  finished  his  studies,  in  1876,  Father 
Mclnerney  was  appointed  to  the  Mission  Church, 
Boston,  but  his  weak  constitution  soon  necessitated 
a  change,  and  he  was  transferred  to  St.  Mary's 
Church,  Annapolis,  where  he  was  employed  in  the 
lighter  tasks  of  the  ministry.  In  1881  he  was  sent  to 
St.  Patrick's,  Toronto,  where  he  labored  with  a  zeal 
far  beyond  the  warrant  of  his  physical  strength.  From 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    547 

1884  to  1887  he  served  as  Rector  of  St.  Mary's, 
Annapolis.  During  his  three  years  there,  he  reno- 
vated and  beautified  the  church,  and  in  other  ways 
showed  such  a  marked  capacity  for  large  affairs,  that 
at  the  expiration  of  his  term  he  was  appointed  Rector 
of  the  Mission  Church,  Boston.  The  noble  work  he 
did  here  is  a  familiar  story,  and  we  need  not  repeat 
it.  After  one  term  as  Rector  of  St.  Patrick's,  Toronto, 
he  was  chosen,  in  1893,  Superior  of  the  new  founda- 
tion in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

In  1895  Father  Mclnerney  was  stricken  with 
progressive  paralysis,  but  fought  it  so  bravely,  that 
for  three  terms  he  was  able  to  act  as  Prefect  of  the 
Second  Novitiate.  In  1898,  however,  his  condition 
became  much  aggravated  and  from  day  to  day  he 
was  rendered  more  and  more  helpless.  In  the  hope 
of  recovery,  he  made  a  novena  at  the  tomb  of  the 
Venerable  Bishop  Neumann,  but  it  was  the  decree 
of  the  Most  High  God  that  he  should  drain  the 
chalice  of  suffering  to  the  very  dregs.  Late  in  1899, 
he  said  Holy  Mass  for  the  last  time;  thenceforth  life 
was  to  him  simply  a  martyrdom  and  a  crucifixion.  At 
the  age  of  56,  in  the  full  glory  of  his  manhood,  and 
at  the  height  of  his  fine  intellectual  powers,  he  found 
himself  an  utter  cripple.  Oh,  what  a  picture  of 
human  misery  was  he!  this  noble  priest,  once  so  full 
of  life  and  energy,  but  now  unable  to  move  hand  or 
foot,  or  to  raise  his  head  to  Heaven,  to  which  in  by- 
gone days  he  had  directed  so  many  hundreds  of  souls. 
The  bowed  head,  the  bent  form,  the  trembling  palsied 
hands  —  whom  do  they  suggest,  if  not  St.  Alphonsus? 
But  it  was  precisely  when  in  this  lamentable  state  that 
Father  Mclnerney  gave  the  best  proof  of  his  true 
greatness  and  heroic  virtue.  Crushed  and  tortured 
with  bodily  pain,  he  was  always  cheerful,  contented 
and  resigned.  "Angels  came  and  ministered  to  him," 


548       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

and  beyond  the  crown  of  thorns,  he  beheld  the  aureola 
of  glory.  Till  a  short  time  before  his  death,  he  retained 
his  clearness  and  keenness  of  mind,  and  every  morn- 
ing he  had  himself  carried  to  the  sacristy,  where  he 
heard  Mass  and  received  Holy  Communion. 

In  spite  of  his  bitter  affliction,  Father  Mclnerney 
observed  as  best  he  could,  the  rules  of  the  Congrega- 
tion, with  all  the  exactness  and  fervor  of  a  novice.  As 
the  weary  years  wore  on,  his  crushing  disease  became 
worse  and  worse.  "  I  am  come  into  the  depth  of  the 
sea;  and  a  tempest  hath  overwhelmed  me."  But  at 
last,  on  July  23, 1914,  the  day  of  deliverance  dawned, 
"  the  chains  were  loosed  to  let  the  captive  go."  While 
his  brethren  were  reciting  the  prayers  for  the  dying, 
he  made  a  supreme  effort  to  raise  the  crucifix  to  his 
lips,  as  if  he  would  say  with  his  dying  Saviour,  "  It 
is  consummated."  But  the  nerveless  hand  that  held 
the  Sacred  Image  fell  back  limp  and  impotent,  and 
the  purified  and  chastened  soul  of  the  holy  old  man 
took  flight  from  the  gloom  of  Calvary  to  the  glory  of 
the  Eternal  Hills.  Thus  ended  the  sufferings  of  this 
exemplary  religious,  this  worthy  son  of  St.  Alphon- 
sus,  this  zealous  missionary  and  bright  pattern  of 
sacerdotal  excellence,  this  marvel  of  patience  and 
resignation  to  the  Adorable  Will  of  God. 

At  the  time  of  his  precious  death,  Father  Mclner- 
ney was  47  years  a  Redemptorist,  39  years  a  priest, 
and  71  years  a  gentle,  kindly  human  being.  His  was 
a  grand  life!  Within  the  walls  of  the  mortuary 
chapel  at  Annapolis,  awaiting  a  glorious  resurrection, 
rest  the  ashes  of  the  martyr  priest  —  the  Rev.  Augus- 
tine J.  Mclnerney,  C.  SS.R. 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    549 


THE  VERY  REV.  WILLIAM  G.  LUECKING,  C.  SS.  R. 

Father  Luecjdng,  who  from  1884-1890  was  an 
assistant  at  the  Mission  Church,  died  of  uremic 
poisoning  at  St.  Agnes'  Hospital,  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
Saturday,  January  20,  1912. 

William  G.  Luecking  was  born  of  model  Catholic 
parents  in  New  York  City,  October  1,  1857.  In  1869, 
he  entered  the  Preparatory  College,  then  attached  to 
St.  James's  Rectory,  Baltimore.  Here  he  showed 
himself  a  real  boy,  full  of  life  and  fun,  but  at  the 
same  time  observant  of  the  rules  of  the  college  and 
diligent  in  study.  He  was  graduated  in  June,  1875, 
and  on  August  2  received  the  habit  at  Annapolis, 
Md.  The  following  August  2  he  made  his  religious 
profession,  and  on  April  3,  1880,  was  ordained  priest 
by  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons. 

From  1881  to  1883,  Father  Luecking  was  profes- 
sor at  the  Preparatory  College,  North  East,  Pa.  At 
the  close  of  his  second  novitiate,  which  he  made  here 
in  Boston,  under  Father  Henning,  he  was  assigned 
to  this  community.  Occasionally,  he  was  employed 
in  giving  missions,  but  for  the  most  part,  was  occu- 
pied with  parochial  duties.  In  putting  the  Sunday 
school  on  a  solid  basis,  in  the  early  days  of  the  parish, 
he  met  with  marked  success. 

In  June,  1890,  Father  Luecking  was  appointed  to 
the  important  and  honorable  position  of  Prefect  of 
Students  at  the  Seminary,  at  Ilchester,  Md.  So  well 
did  he  administer  that  office  that  in  April,  1898,  he 
was  promoted  to  the  lofty  dignity  of  Superior  of  the 
Baltimore  Province,  which  post  he  held  for  11  years. 
During  his  first  term  he  remodeled  the  college  at 
North  East,  and  erected  there  a  beautiful  Gothic 


550       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

chapel  of  granite.  A  few  years  later,  he  achieved  his 
monumental  work,  the  building  of  the  magnificent 
Seminary  at  Esopus,  N.  Y.,  justly  ranked  as  one  of 
the  finest  institutions  of  its  kind  in  the  country. 

In  October,  1909,  Father  Luecking  was  relieved  of 
the  heavy  burdens  of  the  Provincialship,  and  named 
Rector  of  Esopus.  Shortly  afterwards,  he  began  to 
show  symptoms  of  kidney  trouble,  and  from  that  time 
forward  his  health  steadily  declined.  In  the  summer 
of  1911,  he  was  taken  to  the  hospital,  where  he  lin- 
gered till  the  time  of  his  death. 

He  was  buried  in  the  community  cemetery  at 
Esopus,  only  a  stone's  throw  from  the  great  building, 
which  stands  for  all  time  as  an  eloquent  testimonial 
of  his  fatherly  care  of  the  students  in  particular,  and 
of  his  deep  love  for  the  Congregation  in  general. 


THE  REV.  MICHAEL  J.  CORDUKE,  C.  SS.  R. 

Father  Corduke,  the  genial,  gentle  priest,  who  dur- 
ing his  stay  in  Boston  won  a  high  place  in  the  affec- 
tions of  the  parishioners,  was  born  at  Ballyshannon, 
County  Donegal,  Ireland,  February  16,  1849.  At  the 
age  of  12,  he  immigrated  to  the  United  States  with 
his  parents,  who  fixed  their  abode  in  New  York  City. 
He  pronounced  the  holy  vows  of  religion  at  An- 
iiapolis,  August  2,  1875,  and  was  ordained  priest 
June  7,  1879,  at  the  Baltimore  Cathedral  by  His 
Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons. 

During  the  early  years  of  his  priesthood,  Father 
Corduke  was  stationed  at  Annapolis,  in  Quebec,  and 
in  Toronto.  In  1890  he  was  assigned  to  the  Mission 
Church,  where  for  eight  years,  he  gave  to  God,  to  the 
Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer,  and  to 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    551 

the  people  of  this  parish,  the  best  that  was  in  him. 
As  Procurator  of  the  community,  he  was  ever  readjr 
to  provide  for  the  comfort  and  happiness  of  his 
religious  brethren.  His  manner,  his  demeanor,  but 
above  all  his  innate  kindness  of  heart  inspired  univer- 
sal confidence.  To  go  to  him  was  to  go  to  a  father, 
and,  therefore,  all,  but  particularly  the  poor,  could 
unhesitatingly  approach  him.  He  was  an  ardent  sup- 
porter of  every  movement  that  contributed  to  the 
welfare  of  the  young  people.  His  prudent  counsel 
warned  them  of  dangers,  and  his  delicate  tact 
smoothed  away  their  difficulties. 

In  1898  he  was  appointed  Rector  of  St.  Peter's 
Church,  St.  John,  N.  B.,  where  he  labored  with  ad- 
mirable devotion,  until  attacked  by  cancer  of  the 
throat,  in  1901.  During  the  two  years  of  slow  tor- 
ture caused  by  his  frightful  malady,  he  gave  an 
edifying  example  of  patience.  He  never  uttered  a 
word  of  complaint,  nor  showed  the  least  craving  for 
human  sympathy.  The  only  sentiment  that  fell  from 
his  lips  was  "  Thy  Will  be  done,  O  Lord ! "  His  spirit 
of  prayer  was  truly  remarkable;  he  used  to  spend 
nearly  the  whole  day  before  the  Blessed  Sacrament, 
communing  with  his  Divine  Master.  On  May  9, 
1903,  his  life  of  virtue  was  crowned  by  a  blessed 
death. 


REV.  PETER  CORK,  C.  SS.  R. 

Father  Corr,  who  was  attached  to  the  Mission 
Church  for  seventeen  years  and  a  half,  was  born  in 
New  York  City,  May  26,  1868.  He  entered  the  Pre- 
paratory College  in  1881,  was  graduated  in  1887, 
professed  as  a  Redemptorist  August  28,  1888,  and 


552       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

ordained  August  29,  1893,  by  His  Eminence  Cardi- 
nal Gibbons. 

During  his  long  stay  in  Boston,  Father  Corr  was 
actively  engaged  on  the  missions,  but  he  is,  perhaps, 
best  known  as  the  energetic  director  of  the  St. 
Alphonsus  Association.  His  influence  over  the 
young  men  was  wonderful;  and  his  open,  frank  and 
bluff  manner  strongly  appealed  to  all  who  admire 
sincerity  between  man  and  man.  His  constant 
efforts  to  advance  the  Association  physically,  intel- 
lectually, and  morally  entitle  him  to  the  eternal  grati- 
tude of  the  members. 

On  August  29,  1918,  Father  Corr  quietly  cele- 
brated the  Silver  Jubilee  of  his  priesthood  at  St. 
Alphonsus'  Church,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  at  that  time 
stationed.  Less  than  three  weeks  afterwards,  he  was 
sent  to  give  a  mission  at  a  little  place  on  Staten  Island. 
Apparently  in  good  health,  he  preached  with  his  usual 
force  and  vigor  on  the  evening  of  September  18,  but 
some  time  during  the  night,  he  was  stricken  with 
apoplexy,  and  the  next  morning  was  found  dead  on 
the  floor  of  his  room.  His  sudden  death,  in  the  prime 
of  Life,  while  all  alone  on  a  country  mission,  was  truly 
pathetic.  His  funeral  took  place  September  23,  from 
St.  Alphonsus'  Church,  N.  Y.,  where  he  had  made 
his  first  Holy  Communion,  served  Mass  as  a  boy,  and 
offered  up  the  Holy  Sacrifice  for  the  first  time.  The 
celebrant  of  the  Funeral  Mass  was  the  Very  Rev. 
Joseph  Schneider,  C.  SS.R.,  Provincial;  the  deacon 
and  the  subdeacon  were  two  classmates  of  the  de- 
ceased, the  Rev.  Augustine  Duke,  C.  SS.R.,  Prefect 
of  Students  at  the  Redemptorist  Seminary,  and  the 
Rev.  James  Hayes,  C.  SS.R.,  who  had  been  Father 
Corr's  Superior  in  Boston  for  more  than  eight  years. 
The  eulogy  was  pronounced  by  Father  Duke.  The 
interment  took  place  in  the  Redemptorist  crypt,  at 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    553 

the  Church  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer,  East  3d 
Street,  N.  Y. 

The  following  deceased  priests  and  seminarians 
were  boys  of  the  parish  —  our  own  kith  and  kin  —  and 
are,  therefore,  entitled  to  affectionate  remembrance. 


THE  REV.  JAMES  DOYLE,  C.  SS.  R. 

Father  Doyle,  a  young  priest  of  singular  amia- 
bility of  character,  died  November  6,  1901,  at  the 
early  age  of  28.  The  son  of  exemplary  Catholic 
parents,  he  was  born  in  Roxbury,  March  1,  1873. 
When  he  was  a  child,  his  mother  died,  and  Father 
Luecking,  touched  with  sympathy,  took  a  special  in- 
terest in  the  little  fellow.  James  attended  the  Comins 
School,  and  was  one  of  the  most  steady  and  punctual 
sanctuary  boys  of  the  Mission  Church.     In  1886  he 
entered  the  lower  branch  of  the  Redemptorist  Pre- 
paratory College  at  Saratoga  Springs,  and  in  1888 
was  promoted  to  the  upper  branch  at  North  East;  in 
1892,  he  was  graduated  with  honor  and  distinction. 
On  August  2,  1893,  he  was  professed  as  a  Redemp- 
torist, and  was  ordained  priest  June  21,  1899,  at 
the  Baltimore  Cathedral  by  His  Eminence  Cardinal 
Gibbons. 

After  his  second  novitiate,  Father  Doyle  was 
appointed  to  the  mission-band  at  St.  Mary's,  An- 
napolis. As  he  had  ability,  zeal,  and  gentle  winning 
ways,  his  Superiors  entertained  high  hopes  of  his  be- 
coming a  successful  missionary.  But  alas !  on  his  sec- 
ond mission,  at  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  Star  of  the 
Sea,  in  Baltimore,  he  was  stricken  with  appendicitis. 
An  operation  was  performed,  but  septic  poisoning 
had  set  in,  and  Father  Doyle's  promising  apostolate 


554* 


was  cut  short.  In  the  arms  of  a  fellow  priest,  the 
Rev.  Joseph  Schonhart,  C.  SS.  R.,  who  had  loved  him 
to  the  end,  he  peacefully  expired.  Father  Doyle  was 
buried  in  the  mortuary  chapel  at  Annapolis,  Md. 


THE  REV.  JOHN  PHINN,  C.  SS.  R. 

The  death  of  Father  Phinn,  stricken  down  in  the 
early  morning  of  life,  was  lamented  by  all  who  knew 
his  fine  ability  and  sterling  character.  He  was  born 
in  Dundee,  Scotland,  June  25,  1881.  As  a  child  he 
came  to  America  with  his  parents  and  settled  in  Bos- 
ton. After  his  graduation  from  the  Mission  Church 
School,  in  1893,  he  attended  the  Roxbury  High 
School,  where  he  made  brilliant  studies.  In  1899  he 
entered  the  Redemptorist  Preparatory  College  at 
North  East,  Pa.,  and  finished  his  course  with  high 
honors  in  1902.  On  August  2,  1903,  he  made  his  re- 
ligious profession,  and  five  years  afterwards,  on  July 
2,  1908,  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood  at  the  Re- 
demptorist Seminary,  Esopus,  N.  Y. 

His  first  field  of  labor  was  the  Church  of  St.  Wen- 
ceslaus,  Baltimore,  where  he  devoted  himself  to  the 
welfare  of  the  Bohemian  Catholics,  whose  mother- 
tongue  he  had  studied  while  a  seminarian.  A  little 
later  he  was  appointed  professor  of  Latin  and  Eng- 
lish at  North  East,  but  he  had  scarcely  taken  up  his 
new  duties  when  he  became  seriously  ill.  The  doctors 
diagnosed  his  trouble  as  cancer.  He  was  removed 
to  the  hospital  in  Buffalo,  where  he  died  on  March 
9,  1911. 

The  funeral  took  place  from  the  Mission  Church 
March  13,  at  10  o'clock.  Very  Rev.  Father  Rector 
Hayes  was  celebrant  of  the  Solemn  Funeral  Mass; 
the  Rev.  Ferdinand  Lutz,  C.  SS.  R.,  of  N.  Y.,  deacon 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    555 

and  the  Rev.  John  Barry,  C.  SS.  R.,  of  Brooklyn, 
subdeacon.  The  eulogy  was  delivered  by  the  Very 
Rev.  Francis  Auth,  C.  SS.R.,  Rector  of  the  Re- 
demptorist  College  at  North  East,  Pa.  The  inter- 
ment took  place  in  Calvary  Cemetery.  Father 
Auth,  in  his  beautiful  tribute,  brought  out  the  fol- 
lowing points:  Father  Phinn  was  remarkable  for 
his  bright,  cheerful  and  kind  disposition  and  his  spirit 
of  prayer.  His  beads  were  his  invariable  companion. 
During  his  last  illness  over  and  over  again  he  recited 
with  glowing  fervor  the  chaplet  of  Our  Blessed 
Mother,  who,  we  may  easily  believe  smoothed  his  path 
to  Heaven  and  presented  his  soul,  purified  by  long 
and  patient  suffering,  to  her  Divine  Son,  the  great 
High  Priest,  to  receive  the  eternal  reward  of  a  well- 
spent  life. 


THE  REV.  HENRY  MURPHY,  C.  SS.  R. 

Father  Murphy  died  December  7,  1913,  at  St. 
Clement's  College,  Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y.  He 
was  born  in  Taunton,  Mass.,  April  8,  1883,  and  at 
the  age  of  15  entered  the  Preparatory  College  at 
North  East,  Pa.,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in 

1904.  He  made  his  religious  profession  August  2, 

1905,  and  was  ordained  July  20,  1910.    In  February, 
1912,  on  the  completion  of  his  studies,  he  was  assigned 
to  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  N.  Y. 
But  after  a  few  months  his  health  gave  way  com- 
pletely, and  he  was  sent  to  the  salubrious  climate  of 
Saratoga  Springs.    For  nearly  a  year  and  a  half  he 
fought  bravely  against  his  malady,  but  at  length  suc- 
cumbed to  its  inroads.     His  death  was  marked  by 
tranquil  abandonment  into  the  hands  of  God. 


556       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


THE  REV.  VICTOR  BURNS,  C,  SS.  R. 

On  July  3,  1917,  at  the  Redemptorist  House  at 
Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y.,  Rev.  Victor  Burns, 
C.  SS.  R.,  after  a  lingering  illness  rendered  his  soul 
peacefully  into  the  hands  of  his  Maker. 

Victor  Burns  was  born  in  Roxbury  March  6,  1887. 
After  his  graduation  from  the  parochial  school  he 
was  admitted  to  the  Redemptorist  College  at  North 
East,  Pa.,  in  August,  1900.  On  August  2,  1906,  he 
was  clothed  in  the  religious  habit,  but  owing  to 
illness  did  not  make  his  profession  until  October  15, 
1908.  He  was  ordained  priest  at  the  Redemptorist 
Seminary  at  Esopus,  N.  Y.,  June  26,  1913.  In  the 
summer  of  1914  he  was  sent  to  North  East,  to 
serve  in  the  capacity  of  professor,  but,  like  Father 
Phinn,  he  had  scarcely  entered  the  classroom  when  he 
was  taken  sick.  To  his  own  great  disappointment 
and  to  the  deep  regret  of  his  Superiors,  he  was  trans- 
ferred, utterly  broken  in  health,  to  Saratoga  Springs. 
For  nearly  four  years  thereafter  he  suffered  from  a 
severe  affection  of  the  lungs;  at  times  he  rallied  and 
was  able  to  perform  some  priestly  duties,  but  for 
more  than  a  year  before  his  death  he  sank  steadily. 
When  no  longer  able  to  say  Mass  —  this  had  been 
his  only  consolation  —  he  resigned  himself  entirely 
into  the  hands  of  God  and  calmly  awaited  the  end. 
Without  fear  or  tremor  he  faced  death,  saying  the 
while,  "  O  Lord,  teach  me  to  do  Thy  will."  When 
dying  his  sole  anxiety  was  lest  he  might  show  some 
sign  of  impatience  and  thus  lose  the  merit  he  would 
otherwise  gain.  Truly  could  he  say  with  St.  Paul, 
"  For  me  to  live  is  Christ,  to  die  is  gain." 

The  funeral  took  place  from  the  Redemptorist 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    557 

chapel  at  Saratoga  Springs  July  5.  Father  Hayes 
was  celebrant  of  the  Mass;  the  Rev.  Thomas  Dono- 
hue,  C.  SS.  R.,  deacon,  and  the  Rev.  James  Gunn, 
C.  SS.  R.,  subdeacon.  The  Rev.  Thomas  O'Reilly, 
C.  SS.  R.,  a  classmate  of  the  deceased,  delivered  the 
eulogy.  Father  Burns  was  buried  in  the  little  ceme- 
tery on  the  community  grounds  at  Saratoga  Springs. 


THE  REV.  JOHN  A.  B.  CONROY. 

Father  Conroy,  who,  as  previously  mentioned,  was 
the  first  newly  ordained  priest  to  celebrate  his  First 
Mass  at  the  Mission  Church,  died  in  the  prime  of  life, 
Nov.  15,  1885.  During  his  short  priestly  career  he 
was  an  assistant  at  the  Cathedral  of  La  Crosse,  Wis- 
consin, and  pastor  at  Eau  Claire,  at  Ettrick,  and  sub- 
sequently at  Dellona,  where  after  an  illness  of  only  a 
few  hours  he  died  of  neuralgia  of  the  heart.  In  charge 
of  one  of  his  sisters,  his  corpse  was  brought  from  Del- 
lona to  Boston,  a  distance  of  1,300  miles.  The  funeral 
services  in  that  far-off  western  town  were  attended 
by  a  large  crowd  of  people,  who,  with  every  manifes- 
tion  of  grief  at  having  lost  so  kind  a  father  and  friend, 
followed  the  cortege  to  the  railroad  station,  seven 
miles  away.  The  Solemn  Funeral  Mass  at  the  Mis- 
sion Church  was  celebrated  by  the  Rev.  Eugene 
Walsh,  C.  SS.  R.  The  clergy  and  the  laity  were  pres- 
ent in  large  numbers.  The  eulogy  was  pronounced 
by  the  Rev.  Francis  Delargy,  C.  SS.  R.,  who,  with  a 
fine  touch  of  pathos,  dwelt  on  the  zeal  and  energy 
displayed  by  the  young  priest  in  winning  souls  to 
God. 


558       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


THE  REV.  JOHN  W.  F.  POWER. 

Father  Power  was  born  in  Roxbury  in  1883.  In 
1896  he  was  graduated  from  our  parochial  school  and 
in  1900  from  the  Boston  English  High  School.  Dur- 
ing the  next  four  years  he  pursued  the  classical  stud- 
ies under  the  private  tutelage  of  the  Jesuit  Fathers  of 
Boston  College.  In  September,  1905,  he  was  admitted 
to  the  Grand  Seminary,  Montreal,  where,  in  1910, 
lie  received  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Canon  Law. 
On  December  17  of  that  year  he  was  ordained  priest 
by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Walsh,  at  the  Cathedral  of 
the  Immaculate  Conception,  Portland,  Maine,  to 
which  shortly  afterwards  he  was  assigned  as  assist- 
ant. 

Able,  energetic  and  zealous  he  gave  great  promise 
of  accomplishing  wonders  in  the  vineyard  of  the 
Lord,  but  only  a  few  years  after  his  ordination  he  fell 
a  victim  to  consumption  and  died  August  1,  1914. 
His  death  was  universally  mourned  by  the  people  of 
the  parish,  with  whom  he  was  a  great  favorite.  A 
graduate  of  the  school,  a  former  president  of  the 
Alumni  Association,  one  of  the  first  musical  directors 
of  the  St.  Alphonsus  Orchestra,  a  prominent  figure 
in  all  the  parish  entertainments,  he  was  in  the  full 
sense  of  the  term,  one  of  our  own. 

His  funeral  took  place  from  the  Mission  Church 
August  4;  the  Rev.  John  J.  Frawley,  C.  SS.  R.,  was 
celebrant  of  the  Mass;  the  Rev.  Timothy  Houlihan, 
Rector  of  the  Portland  Cathedral,  deacon;  and  the 
Rev.  John  Finn,  a  classmate  of  the  deceased,  subdea- 
con.  The  Rev.  Richard  Donohoe,  C.  SS.  R.,  Direc- 
tor of  the  Redemptorist  College,  at  North  East,  Pa., 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER   659 

paid  a  feeling  tribute  to  the  dead  priest.  A  large 
number  of  clergymen,  especially  from  Portland,  were 
present  in  the  sanctuary.  Fully  two  thousand  of  the 
laity  attended  the  Mass. 


Redemptorist  Seminarians. 


TIMOTHY  SHEEHAN.,  C.  SS.  R. 

Timothy  Sheehan  was  born  at  Coachford,  County 
Cork,  Ireland,  August  27,  1862,  and  as  a  child  came 
tc  this  country  with  his  parents.  He  was  graduated 
from  the  Redemptorist  Preparatory  College  in  1885, 
and  admitted  to  the  holy  vows  August  2, 1886.  About 
a  year  afterwards  his  health  began  to  fail  and  he  was 
sent  from  the  seminary  at  Ilchester,  Md.,  to  Saratoga 
Springs,  N.  Y.,  where  after  a  long  period  of  suffering 
borne  with  patience  and  resignation  he  passed  to  the 
better  life  on  August  3,  1888. 


JOHN  P.  BURNS,  C.  SS.  R. 

The  death  of  John  P.  Burns,  which  occurred  at  St. 
Clement's  College,  Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y.,  was 
sincerely  mourned  by  the  people  of  the  parish  and  by 
his  brethren  in  religion,  for  he  was  a  young  man  of 
high  character  and  of  great  talent. 

John  P.  Burns  was  born  in  Roxbury,  March  28, 
1 873.  As  a  boy  he  attended  the  Martin  School,  from 
which  he  was  the  first  pupil  to  be  graduated.  He  be- 
gan his  classical  course  at  the  Redemptorist  Prepara- 


560       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

tory  College  at  Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y.,  in  1887, 
and  finished  it  at  North  East,  Pa.,  in  1893.  On 
August  2  of  that  year  he  was  invested  in  the  religious 
habit  at  Annapolis,  Md.,  and  during  his  novitiate 
showed  solid  piety  and  genuine  fervor.  When  at  the 
end  of  his  probation  he  was  enrolled  among  the  Sons 
of  St.  Alphonsus,  his  joy  knew  no  bounds. 

Full  of  ambition  to  become  an  efficient  priest  he 
began  the  higher  studies  at  Ilchester,  Md.,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1894,  but  in  the  spring  of  1896  his  health  broke 
down  and  thenceforth  he  suffered  almost  constantly. 
However,  he  bore  the  martydom  of  his  disease  with  a 
resignation  to  the  Will  of  God  that  was  nothing  less 
than  heroic.  In  the  hope  of  preserving  to  the  commu- 
nity so  promising  a  subject,  his  Superiors  sent  him  to 
Roxbury,  thinking  that  his  native  air  might  effect  an 
improvement  in  his  health.  After  a  stay  of  six  months 
he  returned  to  Ilchester,  eager  to  resume  his  studies, 
but  only  slightly,  if  at  all  better.  Thereupon  the  stu- 
dents began  a  series  of  novenas  for  his  recovery,  in 
which  they  were  joined  by  many  other  religious 
communities.  For  a  time  he  seemed  to  rally  and  was 
able  to  attend  class,  but  in  reality  his  condition  was 
still  very  serious. 

The  Very  Rev.  Father  Provincial,  feeling  that  the 
healthful  climate  of  northern  New  York  would 
benefit  him,  transferred  him  to  Saratoga  Springs. 
But  the  All- Wise  God  had  decreed  to  take  the  pious 
young  man  to  himself.  "Being  made  perfect  in  a 
short  space  he  f ulfilled  a  long  time,  for  his  soul  pleased 
God.  Therefore,  He  hastened  to  bring  him  out  of 
the  midst  of  iniquities."  When  told  that  he  could  not 
recover,  his  reply  was  characteristic  of  his  whole  ca- 
reer, "  I  am  delighted  to  die.  I  am  useless  anyway." 
Amid  the  prayers  of  his  sorrowing  companions  in 
religion,  he  peacefully  breathed  his  last,  Friday, 
August  26,  1898. 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    561 


EDWARD  SEPHTON,  C.  SS.  R. 

A  mournful  day  in  the  annals  of  the  Redemptorist 
Fathers  of  the  Baltimore  Province  was  the  26th  of 
August,  1906,  when  two  seminarians  of  the  Congre- 
gation met  death  by  drowning  in  the  Severn  River, 
near  Annapolis.  One  of  them  was  Edward  Joseph 
Sephton  of  the  Mission  Church  Parish;  the  other, 
John  M.  Thaler  of  St.  James's  Parish,  Baltimore. 

Edward  Joseph  Sephton  was  born  in  Roxbury, 
December  6,  1885.  As  a  little  boy  he  attended  St. 
Joseph's  parochial  school,  and  in  September,  1899, 
entered  the  Redemptorist  Preparatory  College,  at 
North  East,  Pa.  He  was  a  brilliant  lad,  whose 
mental  powers  were  far  in  advance  of  his  youthful 
years;  and,  happily,  he  was  as  truly  pious  as  he  was 
highly  gifted.  During  vacation  time,  he  lived  and 
moved  and  had  his  being  in  the  sacred  atmosphere  of 
the  Shrine,  his  prolonged  and  frequent  visits  to  Our 
Lady  of  Perpetual  Help  eliciting  much  admiring 
comment.  Throughout  his  six  years  at  college,  he 
was  a  leader  in  his  class ;  and  finding  time  to  take  up 
extra  studies,  became  proficient  in  Italian  and  in 
dramatic  composition.  It  goes  without  saying  that  he 
was  graduated  with  high  honors,  and  seemed  destined 
to  accomplish  great  and  glorious  things  in  the  service 
of  Almighty  God. 

On  August  2,  1905,  Edward  Sephton  received  the 
Redemptorist  habit  and  one  year  later  pronounced  his 
holy  vows.  Before  his  enraptured  vision  now  rose 
the  day  of  his  ordination  to  the  priesthood  —  the  final 
goal  in  the  realization  of  his  life's  dream.  But  the 
God  of  Infinite  Wisdom,  who  holds  in  His  hands  the 
arbitration  of  man's  future,  had  determined  to  call  this 


562       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

bright  boy  to  Himself  almost  as  soon  as  he  had  made 
his  religious  profession.  The  light  that  had  shone  so 
brilliantly  was  suddenly  quenched,  and  Edward  Seph- 
ton,  while  engaged  in  the  innocent  pastime  of  bath- 
ing, went  down  to  a  watery  grave,  just  twenty- four 
days  after  he  had  become  a  Redemptorist.  Two  days 
later,  he  and  John  M.  Thaler  were  laid  away  in  the 
mortuary  chapel  at  Annapolis,  where  day  after  day, 
and  often  during  the  day,  their  brothers  in  religion, 
who  survive  them,  pray  for  the  repose  of  their  souls. 


JOSEPH  DE  COSTE,  C.  SS.R. 

Joseph  De  Coste  was  born  in  Boston,  May  18, 
1883,  and  was  graduated  from  the  Mission  Church 
School  in  1899.  One  year  later,  he  was  admitted  to 
the  Redemptorist  Preparatory  College,  at  North 
East,  Pa.,  where  he  was  known  and  esteemed  for  his 
great  industry,  his  love  of  prayer,  and  his  cheerful  and 
unassuming  disposition.  In  May,  1904,  he  finished 
his  course  with  credit  and  applause.  He  received  the 
religious  habit  on  August  2,  at  Annapolis,  Md., 
where  on  the  same  date  the  following  year,  he  made 
his  religious  profession.  In  September  he  began  the 
study  of  philosophy  at  Ilchester,  Md. 

Spurred  on  by  the  ambition  to  become  a  fit  instru- 
ment in  the  hands  of  God  for  the  salvation  of  souls, 
Joseph  De  Coste  devoted  himself  to  his  books  with 
such  unremitting  diligence  that  his  Superiors  found 
it  necessary  to  moderate  his  ardor,  lest  he  undermine 
his  health.  In  the  autumn  of  1906,  he  was  attacked  by 
a  fatal  malady  and  rapidly  declined.  When  the  end 
approached,  he  expressed  the  desire  to  die  on  a  feast 
of  Our  Blessed  Lady,  or  within  the  octave  of  such 


IN  THE  ARMS  OF  OUR  BLESSED  MOTHER    563 

feast.  His  wish  was  gratified,  for  it  was  on  Feb.  8, 
1907,  within  the  octave  of  the  Purification  of  the 
Holy  Virgin,  that  this  fervent  young  Redemptorist 
received  the  crown  promised  by  St.  Alphonsus  to  his 
faithful  sons,  who  die  in  the  bosom  of  the  Congrega- 
tion. He  was  buried  in  the  community  cemetery  at 
Ilchester,  where  his  ashes  mingle  with  those  of  many 
other  holy  Redemptorists  who  preceded  him  into 
eternity. 


The  Dear  Departed  of  the  Parish 

Before  bringing  to  a  close  our  narrative  of  "The 
Glories  of  Mary  in  Boston,"  we  regard  it  as  a  sacred 
duty  to  recommend  to  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help 
the  souls  of  those  unnumbered  thousands  of  parish- 
ioners "who  have  gone  before  us  with  the  sign  of  faith 
and  sleep  the  sleep  of  peace."  They  were  once  our 
very  own.  "Every  other  thought  which  was  within 
us  was  shared  by  them."  They  were  familiar  figures 
round  the  confessionals,  at  the  Communion  rail,  and 
at  the  Shrine;  but  now  we  see  them  no  more.  "The 
bond  of  kindred  is  broken  and  the  silver  cord  of  love 
is  loosed."  "But  O !  for  the  touch  of  a  vanished  hand, 
and  the  sound  of  a  voice  that  is  still!"  Let  us  hope 
and  pray,  today  especially,  that  they  have  already 
"washed  their  stoles  in  the  Blood  of  the  Lamb."  But 
if  they  have  not  yet  been  admitted  to  the  heavenly 
Jerusalem,  let  us  hope  and  pray  that  they  may  soon 
enter  that  blessed  land,  where  "God  shall  wipe  away 
all  tears  from  their  eyes ;  and  death  shall  be  no  more, 
nor  mourning,  nor  crying,  nor  sorrow  shall  be  any 
more,  for  the  former  things  are  passed  away."  And 
let  us  console  ourselves  with  the  beautiful  words  of 
the  Book  of  Proverbs:  "But  the  souls  of  the  just  are 


564       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

in  the  hand  of  God  and  the  torment  of  death  shall  not 
touch  them.  In  the  sight  of  the  unwise  they  seemed 
to  die,  and  their  departure  was  taken  for  misery;  their 
going  away  from  us  for  utter  destruction;  but  they 
are  in  peace." 

May  the  deceased  of  the  parish,  for  whom  we  pray, 
raise  their  voices  night  and  day,  in  fervent  supplica- 
tion, that  He  who  is  the  "Ancient  of  Days,"  that  He 
who  is  "before  Abraham  was  made,"  that  He  whose 
years  shall  never  fail,  may  amplify  and  enhance  and 
perpetuate  "The  Glories  of  Mary  in  Boston." 


A  COMMUNITY  CHAPEL,  C.  SS.  R. 

(Dedicated  to  the  Redemptorist  Fathers  of  Boston) 
By  MARY  SAESFIELD  GILMOBE 
(Written  for  the  Irish  World) 

Where  the  city  resounds  with  discords,  and  is  rife  with  sad 

human  scenes, 
An  abode  of  Christ's  mission-priesthood  o'er  the  street  like 

an  angel  leans. 

The  strong  wing  of  the  church  beside  it  seems  to  fold  it  in 

tender  peace, 
And  the  weary  of  heart  pass  rested,  and  the  wicked  their 

sins  surcease. 

For  the  steps  linking  pave  and  portal,  like  the  ladder  of 

Jacob,  span 
Both  the  heaven  of  saintly  vision  and  the  earth  that  is  plane 

of  man. 

And  tho'  sordid  the  world,  and  sinful,  yet  a  yearning  in 

souls  survives, 
For  the  grace  of  Divine  ideals,  and  the  glory  of  holy  lives. 

So  the  pace  of  the  heedless  slackens,  and  the  laugh  of  the 

reckless  dies, 
And  the  cheek  of  the  woman  blushes,  and  a  tear  softens 

manly  eyes, — 

Where  the  house  of  the  Lord's  anointed  fills  its  mission,  albeit 

mute, 

And  a  legion  converted  sinners  are  its  unction's  immortal 
fruit! 

*         *         # 

Scarce  a  step  from  the  public  porchway 
Is  a  shrine  by  the  world  unseen, 
Since  the  rule  of  the  cloister  closes 
Its  inviolate  doors  between. 


A  COMMUNITY  CHAPEL,  C.  SS.  R.  567 

But  the  keys  of  the  holy  Brother, 
Or  the  novice  who  shares  his  trust, 
In  their  charity  grant  a  vision 
Of  the  chapel  where  pray  the  just. 

On  its  walls  glints  the  green  of  Springtime, 
Pale  and  tender,  yet  softly  bright; 
While  low  panels  of  gold  and  crimson 
With  the  nave's  velvet  glow  unite : 

And  the  tri-colors  blend  their  beauty 
With  the  light  like  a  lustrous  mist, 
Of  the  tapers  whose  rays  illumine 
The  retreat  of  the  Eucharist! 

Oaken  pews  by  an  aisle  divided, 
Of  soft  cushions  or  down  are  bare ; 
In  their  simple,  ascetic  beauty, 
Perfect  settings  for  pious  prayer. 

While  o'erhead,  where  the  carven  choir 
In  desertion  and  silence  lifts, 
Psalm  and  chant  seem  to  echo  subtly 
As  dream-music  thro'  slumber  drifts. 

Face  to  face  with  chaste  crystal  windows, 
Gleam  aloft,  mural  paintings  twain; 
And  the  beautiful  Christ  presented, 
The  grand  altar-piece  shows  again. 

In  the  one,  Jesus  walks  the  waters 

To  concede  sinking  Peter  aid, 

Since  his  lip-faith  appeals,  "Lord,  save  me !" 

Tho'  at  soul  he  is  sore  afraid. 

In  the  other,  there  flows  the  Water, 
That  is  not  of  the  sea,  but  Life, — 
For  it  pictures  the  well  of  Jacob, 
And  the  woman  with  evil  rife ; 

And  the  Saviour  Who  sorely  thirsted, 
While  to  serve  Him  her  hand  demurr'd, 
Yet  out-pour'd  her  the  Living  Water 
Of  Salvation's  immortal  Word. 


568       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 

So  the  lesson  of  both  is  tender, 

Yet  pathetic  past  human  ken ; 

For  in  Peter  and  he  who  faiPd  Him, 

Christ  foretasted  His  cup  from  men ! — 

O'er  the  altar,  the  Christ  depicted 
Walks  abroad  'twixt  apostles  two ; 
And  His  Figure  is  here  majestic, 
Yet  benign  as  His  chosen  knew. 

And  so  vivid  in  life-size  beauty 
Does  the  Saviour's  presentment  show, 
That  it  seems  like  the  incarnation 
Of  the  Real  Presence  shrin'd  below. 

As  the  gold  and  white  altar  glimmers, 
In  the  rays  of  the  vigil-light, 
O,  the  God-Man's  own  Sacred  Heart-throbs 
Seem  to  pulse  to  the  dome's  still  height ! 

And  perchance  this  is  not  mere  fancy, 
Since  (O,  touching!)  in  upper  wall 
The  infirmary  opes  a  window 
Where  the  sick  to  the  Healer  call: — 

And  lest  souls  that  on  Pain's  cross  languish, 
From  their  Lord  feel  apart  and  far, 
Faith  reveals  that  the  Christ-Heart  whispers, 
"I  abide  where  My  lov'd  ones  are !" 

O,  thou  vision  of  peace  and  beauty !    O,  thou  haven  of  soul 

and  heart ! 
Thou  art  witness  that  e'en  earth's  guerdons  are  to  them  of 

the  "better  part." 

That  "who  loseth  his  life  shall  find  it,"  if  he  lose  it  for  love 

divine, 
In  a  measure  that  man  conceives  not,  till  he  follows  the 

Master's  sign. 

There  are  tears  of  the  spirits'  shedding  in  our  eyes  as  we 

turn  aside 
From  our  glimpse  of  thy  greater  glory,  to  the  world's  empty 

pomp  and  pride. 


A  COMMUNITY  CHAPEL,  C.  SS.  R.  569 

Yet  not  all  share  the  high  vocation,  since  the  chosen  are  but 
the  few, 

While  the  many  are  call'd,  like  Martha,  to  the  work  that  lay- 
lives  must  do. 

But  the  duty  well  done,  tho'  lowly,  has  a  recompense  all  its 

own, 
And  the  common  way  fosters  graces,  e'en  as  stars  o'er  the 

dark  are  sown. 

Inspiration  to  live  life  purely,  neither  woman  nor  man  can 

lack, 
Or  the  courage  of  high  conviction,  tho'  the  fury  of  hell 

attack, — 

Whilst  the  glory  of  church  and  chapel  pictures  heaven's  re- 
quiting goal, 

And  the  priesthood's  heroic  virtue  proves  the  strength  of 
the  Christian  soul. 

Then,  O  militant  Churchmen,  homage  unto  you  and  your 

holy  kind, 
Under  Christ,  the  supreme  exalters  of  humanity's  soul  and 

mind! 

For  your  practice  that  crowns  your  precept,  is  a  challenge 
that  man  accepts, 

A  reproach  to  the  self-indulgent,  an  ideal  the  world  re- 
spects ; — - 

And  the  voice  of  the  mission-preacher,  that  transmits  God's 

impellent  call, 
By  the  Paraclete's  tongue  of  fire,  is   the   one  voice  that 

reaches  all. 

So  ye  go  forth  to  teach  all  nations,  in  the  Master's  Om- 
niscient Name, 

And  eternal  reward's  forerunner  is  your  world-wide,  immor- 
tal fame; — 

Since  the  Sign  under  which  ye  conquer,  is  no  sceptre  of 
earthly  dross, 

But  the  mission's  specific  symbol, — the  Redeemer's  triumph- 
ant Cross ! 


LINES     DEDICATED     TO    THE     REV.     FATHERS 

PETSCH  AND  HAYES  ON  THE  COMPLETION 

OF  THE  MISSION  CHURCH  TOWERS. 

"Slumbers  thy  dust,  O  champion  of  the  Lord, 

Whose  love  and  thought  designed  this  beauteous  fane, 

Well  foughtest  thou,  a  noble  end  thy  sword, 

When  shall  we  look  upon  thy  like  again? 

Now  thy  successor,  Wisdom's  chosen  one, 

Consummates  the  work,  so  well  begun, 

Both  Temples  types  of  that  unfailing  Church, 

Founded  by  combats  that  not  yet  may  cease, 

And  by  the  Spirit  perfected  in  peace. 

"Ah,  venerated  names !  not  scrolled  alone 
By  the  architectural  glories  of  the  pile, 
By  gorgeous  lights  on  richly  carven  stone, 
By  clustering  columns  of  'the  long  drawn  aisle,' 
Not  in  these  priceless  jewels  of  all  arts, 
But  on  a  people's  proud  and  grateful  hearts ! 
Here  shall  in  full  toned  harmonies  of  praise, 
Angels  ascendant  and  descendant  soar — 
Whispering  your  sainted  names  for  evermore." 


VERSES  INSPIRED  BY  THE  ELECTRIC  CROSSES 

OF  THE  MISSION  CHURCH. 

CROSS  OF  LIGHT. 

Symbol  grand  of  love  and  pity, 
Faith  and  hope  and  pure  desire; 
Gleaming  high  above  the  city, 
Shines  the  Mission  Cross  of  fire. 

Oh!  how  dark  were  history's  pages, 
Had  the  light  of  faith  not  shone, 
On  the  paths  of  men  for  ages, 
Leading  down  from  Calvary's  Throne. 

Paths  where  footsteps  prone  to  falter, 
Turned  and  wandered  from  the  right, 
Brought  again  unto  the  altar, 
By  the  gleaming  through  the  night. 

Hearts  when  seamed  by  worldly  furrow, 
Swayed  and  bowed  beneath  the  strain, 
Leaned  on  thee,  of  greater  sorrows, 
By  the  firm  light  inspired  again. 

Light  that  cheered  the  brave  crusader, 
Through  the  Syrian  desert  sands ; 
Turning  back  each  new  invader, 
From  thy  flocks  in  many  lands. 

Gleaming  now  above  the  city, 
In  thy  habiliments  of  fire; 
Teach  us  still  of  love  and  pity, 
Faith  and  hope  and  pure  desire. 

— Timothy  C.  Murphy,  in  The  Hibernian. 
Dec.  15,  1910. 


THE    STARS    AND    STRIPES 
FOREVER!" 


MEMBERS  OF  THE  PARISH  WHO  SERVED  WITH  THE 
COLORS  DURING  THE  WORLD  WAR. 

Chaplain,  REV.  STEPHEN    L.    AHERN,    C.  SS.  R. 
Chaplain,  REV.  FRANCIS  A.  MURRAY,  C.  SS.  R. 
Chaplain,  REV.  GEORGE  A.  CRIMMEN 


Ago,  John  H. 
Ahern,  Cornelius  G. 
Ahern,  George 
Ahern,  Joseph  F. 
Ahern,  Michael  A. 
Aiken,  Bernard  J. 
Allen,  Amos   F. 
Anderson,  Frederick   A. 
Anderson,  L.  Henry 
Appicello,  James  E. 
Badarraco,  George  A. 
Barker,  Peter 
Barr,  Chester  W. 
Barrett,    John    J. 
Barry,  Herbert 
Barry,  Patrick   J. 
Barry,  Thomas   F. 
Bates,  George  R. 
Biancone,  Ferdinand 
Bogue,  John  J. 
Bohannon,  Charles 
Bohannon,  Fred  G. 
Bohannon,  John  H. 
Bowen,  Harry  W. 
Bowen,  Warren  L. 
Bowers,  Robert  E. 
Bradley,   John   J. 
Brady,  Edward 


Brady,  Francis 
Brady,  J.  John 
Brady,  Thomas 
Brady,  Thomas  J. 
Brady,  William  E. 
Breagy,  Richard  T. 
Breheny,  Michael 
Brennan,  George 
Brennan,  George  J. 
Brennan,  George  J. 
Brennan,  John  A. 
Brennan,  Michael  J. 
Brennan,  Thomas  J. 
Brennan,  William   T. 
Breslin,  James  E. 
Brethney,  Michael  F. 
Brodigan,  Joseph  J. 
Brogan,  Michael 
Brogan,  William  J. 
Brusch,  Joseph  A. 
Buckley,  Alfred  J. 
Buckley,  Matthew   J. 
Burke,  John  A. 
Burke,  Michael 
Burke,  Thomas  J. 
Burns,  Henry  P. 
Burns,  John  J. 
Burns,  Leo  W. 


CHAPLAINS 

FRO/A 
THE 


IS-H- 


"THE  STARS  AND  STRIPES  FOREVER!"    573 


Burns,  William  H. 
Butler,  John  A. 
Caden,  James  P.  L. 
Cadigan,  John  R. 
Cady,  Arthur  L. 
Cady,  Joseph  J. 
Cahill,  Arthur  J. 
Cahill,  John   W. 
Cahill,  Timothy 
Callahan,  James  J. 
Callahan,  John  A. 
Callahan,  Joseph  A. 
Callahan,  Richard  G. 
Calnan,  Thomas 
Calnan,  Thomas  J. 
Calnan,  T.  P. 
Campagne,    Salvatore 
Campbell,  John  M. 
Campbell,  Thomas  J. 
Canney,  James  J. 
Cannon,  James  P. 
Carberry,   Thomas   J. 
Carmody,  Edward  F. 
Carmody,  Patrick  F. 
Carney,  Bernard  A. 
Carrigan,  Dennis 
Carroll,  Fred  H. 
Carroll,  James 
Carroll,  Joseph  D. 
Carty,  Thomas  P. 
Casey,  Dennis  P. 
Casey,  Edward 
Casey,  Fred 
Casey,  John  J. 
Casey,  Wm.  L. 
Cassidy,  John  E. 
Cassidy,  Joseph  G. 
Cassidy,  Patrick   J. 
Caulfield,  Edward   L. 
Caulfield,  Fergus  I. 
Caulfield,  James  E. 
Caulfield,  John  H. 
Caulfield,  Patrick  J. 
Chatain,  Francis 
Cheever,  Charles  E. 
Clancy,  Emanuel  S. 


Cleary,  Charles  J. 
Cleary,  Joseph  R. 
Clement,  Phil 
Clifford,  Patrick  J. 
Clinton,  David  M. 
Clinton,  David  M. 
Cloonan,  Patrick  J. 
Coakley,  Joseph  R. 
Coffey,  Wm.   J. 
Coghlan,  Charles  M. 
Coghlan,  Nicholas  G. 
Coleman,  Benj.  L. 
Colleran,  Patrick  A. 
Colleran,  Patrick  M. 
Collins,  Edward  J. 
Collins,  George 
Collins,  Martin  J. 
Colsehel,  Nicholas 
Comer,  William  J. 
Comerford,  Joseph 
Concannon,  John  P. 
Condell,  William  J. 
Condon,  George  J. 
Condon,  Thomas  H. 
Connell,  John  J. 
Connolly,  Edward   G. 
Connolly,  Martin  J. 
Connolly,  Thomas  F. 
Connolly,  William  H. 
Connor,  Daniel   P. 
Connor,  Eugene  J. 
Connor,  William  J. 
Connors,  Patrick 
Conroy,  John  J. 
Conway,  John  A. 
Conway,  Joseph   J. 
Conway,  Joseph  M. 
Cook,  Frank 
Cooney,  Bernard  P. 
Corbett,  William  J. 
Cordingley,  John  G. 
Costello,  Richard 
Costello,  Thomas  J. 
Cotter,  Edward  F. 
Cotter,  John  J. 
Cotter,  Neil 


574       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


Coughlan,  Arthur  C. 
Coughlan,  Harry  J. 
Coughlin,  Daniel  J. 
Coughlin,  Edward 
Coughlin,  John 
Coughlin,  Stephen  H. 
Coughlin,  Thomas  A. 
Coughlin,  Timothy  J. 
Counihan,  James  F. 
Coyne,  John 
Craighton,  J. 
Creighton,  John 
Crimman,  Francis  G. 
Croiiin,  Cornelius  A. 
Cronin,  John  G. 
Cronin,  John   P. 
Cronin,  Joseph  J. 
Cronin,  Leo 
Cronin,  Leo  J. 
Cronin,  Mortimer  L. 
Cronin,  William 
Crossen,  Henry  T.  G. 
Crossen,  Joseph  M.  A. 
Crossen,  Robert  W. 
Crowley,  Caine 
Crowley,  David 
Crowley,  Gerard 
Crowley,  J.  Joseph 
Crowley,  Jt>hn  Joseph 
Cullen,  George  W. 
Cullen,  Joseph 
Cullen,  Michael  T. 
Cullinane,  John  F. 
Cunningham,  Frank  M. 
Cunningham,  John 
Cunningham,  Thomas 
Cunningham,  Thomas 
Curnane,  Augustine  C. 
Curran,  Patrick 
Curtin,  Joseph 
Cusick,  Gerard  F. 
Cusick,  John  L. 
Dacey,  William  F. 
Dagnan,  Peter 
Daley,  Bartholomew 
Daley,  James  H. 


Daley,  John  F. 
Daley,  Thomas 
Danner,  John  W. 
Darcy,  Michael  F. 
Davin,  Martin 
Dawson,  Clifford  C. 
Daylor,  James  F. 
DeCourcy,  Alfred  C. 
Delaney,  James 
Denning,  Francis  J. 
Denning,  John  J. 
Desmond,  Patrick  W. 
Devaney,  Augustus  P. 
Devany,  M. 
Develin,  Charles  M. 
Deveney,  Thomas  F. 
Devlin,  Edmund  C. 
Devlin,  Edward 
Devlin,  Francis  J. 
Devlin,  Henry   P. 
Devlin,  John  G. 
Devlin,  John  J. 
Dillon,  Edward 
Dillon,  John 
Dillon,  William 
Dixon,  Thomas 
Dockray,  Albert  H. 
Dockray,  John 
Doherty,  Bernard 
Doherty  Dennis  J. 
Doherty,  John  J. 
Dolan,  Charles  J. 
Dolan,  Daniel 
Dolan,  Edward 
Dolan,  James  A. 
Dolan,  John 
Dolan,  John  A. 
Dolan,  William  J. 
Donahue,  Jeremiah  L. 
Donahue,  Frank  P. 
Donahue,  James 
Donahue,  Jeremiah  A. 
Donahue,  Patrick 
Donahue,  William  G. 
Donlon,  James  J. 
Donnelly,  Peter  M. 


'THE  STARS  AND  STRIPES  FOREVER!"     575 


Donnelly,  Thomas   L. 
Donohue,  Henry  P. 
Donovan,  Edward  W. 
Donovan,  Francis  C. 
Donovan,  Lawrence  L. 
Dooley,   Harry  J. 
Dorr,  William  A. 
Downey,  John  J. 
Doyle,  Frank  R. 
Doyle,  James  F. 
Doyle,  Joseph   P. 
Doyle,  Philip  L. 
Doyle,  Thomas 
Doyle,  Thomas  J. 
Driscoll,  Francis  J. 
Driscoll,  James  S. 
Driscoll,  Michael  A. 
Duffy,  Harold 
Duggan,  Francis   D. 
Duggan,  Francis  J. 
Duggan,  Patrick  J. 
Dunn,  James  E. 
Dunn,  Patrick   J. 
Dunne,  Harold  J. 
Dunne,  Martin  H. 
Dunne,  William  R. 
Dunphy,  J.  Harold 
Durkin,  Clement  A. 
Dwyer,  Albert  E. 
Dwyer,  William  J. 
Early,  James  J. 
Earley,  George 
Egan,  James  C. 
Egan,  Thomas 
Egan,  Thomas 
Egersheim,  Carl  G. 
Ellsworth,  Roswell  H. 
Emmons,  John  H. 
Ennis,  Emmanuel 
Ennis,  Sylvester  J. 
Enright,  Carlton  J. 
Enright,  Victor  J. 
Fahey,  Thomas  E. 
Fallon,  Joseph  J. 
Fallen,  Patrick  J. 
Fallon,  Thomas  A. 


Fallon,  William  G. 
Falvey,  Daniel  J. 
Falvey,  John  J. 
Farley,  Albert  E. 
Farrell,  Matthew  E. 
Fassnacht,  F.  G. 
Fassnacht,  Frank  L. 
Fay,  Charles 
Fay,  George  H. 
Fay,  John 
Fay,  Michael 
Fay,  Thomas  E. 
Feeley,  James  A. 
Feeney,  Daniel 
Ferrick,  James   J. 
Ferrick,  Myles  J. 
Ferrick,  Thomas  J. 
Ferris,  Eugene  F. 
Ferris,  James  J. 
Ferris,  John  M. 
Ferris,  Morgan 
Ferris,  Timothy  J. 
Finn,  John  J. 
Finn,  Pierce  L. 
Finn,  William  F. 
Fitch,  Joseph  J. 
Fitzgerald,  John 
Fitzgerald,  John  F. 
Fitzgerald,  Martin  H. 
Fitzgerald,  Michael   F. 
Fitzgerald,  Patrick  J. 
Fitzgerald,  Thomas  M. 
Fitzgerald,  William  A. 
Fitzpatrick,  George  A. 
Fitzsimmons,  Bernard  T. 
Fitzsimmons,  Stephen  G. 
Fitzsimmons,  Thomas  P. 
Fitzsimmons,  William 
Flanagan,  James 
Flannery,  John  F. 
Flannery,  Kieran 
Flatley,  William 
Floyd,  Thos.  C. 
Flynn,  Michael  J. 
Fogarty,  Arthur  G. 
Foley,  James    C. 


576       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


Foley,  Joseph 
Foley,  Peter  L. 
Ford,  Walter 
Fox,  Charles  J. 
Francis,  Edward  P. 
Freely,  Austin 
Freely,  Edward 
Freely,  James  J. 
Freely,  Patrick  J. 
Freil,  James  C. 
Funge,  Isaac 
Furey,  William 
Gaffney,  George  M. 
Gallagher,  Francis   J. 
Gallagher,  Joseph  G. 
Gallagher,  Robert 
Gallagher,  William 
Gannon,  Bernard 
Garry,  Edward  A. 
Garver,  Ernest  J. 
Garvey,  James  F. 
Garvey,  Thomas  H. 
Garvey,  William  J. 
Gately,  Francis  A. 
Gately,  Joseph  H. 
Gately,  John  F. 
Gavin,  James 
Geary,  Patrick  J. 
Gelenburg,  John  J. 
Gemp,  George  W. 
Gettings,  Francis  P. 
Gibbons,  John  F. 
Gill,  Christopher  J. 
Gill,  Patrick 
Gilleran,  Richard  E. 
Gilligan,  James   E. 
Gilligan,  John  J. 
Gillis,  Daniel 
Gillis,  Thomas 
Gilmore,  William  J. 
Girouard,  George 
Gleason,  Francis  L. 
Gleason,  Thomas    D. 
Glennon,  Patrick  J. 
Glynn,  Joseph  P. 


Glynn,  Joseph  C. 
Glynn,  John  F. 
Glynn,  Patrick 
Golden,  George  Francis 
Goode,  Edward 
Goode,  Ignatius 
Goode,  Michael  J. 
Goode,  William  T. 
Goodrich,  George 
Goodwin,  Thomas  J. 
Goodwin,  Thomas  J. 
Gorman,  Francis 
Gorman,  Thomas  J. 
Gormley,  James  J. 
Gormley,  John  R. 
Grady,  John  J. 
Granfield,  Patrick 
Grant,  Frederick 
Grant,  George  E. 
Grant,  John  J.  G. 
Grant,  Thomas  F. 
Greenall,  Walter 
Greene,  Thomas  M. 
Greene,  William  V. 
Greer,  Thomas  F. 
Griffen,  George  A. 
Griffen,  George  J. 
Griffen,  Martin 
Griffen,  Martin 
Griffen,  Patrick 
Griffen,  Thomas  J. 
Grourk,  John  J. 
Gurney,  Cornelius  B. 
Guntner,  Lawrence 
Hagerton,  Bernard  A. 
Hagerton,  Walter  C. 
Hagerty,  Michael  F. 
Haggerty,  Neil 
Halloran,  John 
Hammond,  Edward   J. 
Hammond,  William  J. 
Hanley,  Michael 
Hanlon,  Frank 
Hanlon,  Francis  S. 
Hanlon,  John  J. 
Hannon,  Dennis  A. 


"THE  STARS  AND  STRIPES  FOREVER!"    577 


Hanrcn,  Patrick  F. 

Harriett,  John  P. 

Harrigan,  Thomas 

Harrington,  Arthur  G. 

Harrington,  John  B. 

Harrington,  John  B. 

Harrington,  John  J. 

Harrington,  Walter  J. 

Harrison,  William  H. 

Hart,  Fred 

Hayes,  Andrew  F.  J. 

Hebert,  Leon 

Heiler,  George  J. 

Heiler,  Matthew  J. 

Higgins,  Robert  B. 

Higgins,  Thomas 

Higgins,  William  E. 

Hill,  Charles  E. 
Hogan,  Thomas  E. 
Hogan,  William  G. 
Holland,  John 
Holmes,  Oliver  W. 
Horgan,  Dennis 
Houghton,  James  A. 
Houghton,  John  J. 
Hourihan,  Michael  F. 
Huban,  Martin  F. 
Huban,  Joseph  E. 
Huber,  George  L. 
Huber,  Rudolph 
Hughes,  Lawrence 
Hughes,  Thomas  J. 
Hunter,  George 
Hurley,  Frank 
Hussey,  Dr.  Earle 
Hyde,  John  F. 
Hyland,  Patrick  J. 
Hyland,  Robert  F. 
Igoe,  Robert  J. 
Ippohto,  Peter  J. 
Jamieson,  Ray 
Jandrne,  Charles  E. 
Jenks,  Joseph  M.  A. 
Johnston,  Andrew  J. 
Johnson,  Alphonsus  W) 
Johnson,  Herbert  L. 


Kane,  Patrick 
Kane,  Thomas  J. 
Kanz,  Walter 
Kavanagh,  Edward  F. 
Keady,  James 
Keane,  John  M. 
Kearney,  John  J. 
Kearney,  William  H. 
Kearns,  John  J. 
Keating,  James    F. 
Keating,  James 
Keany,  Coleman 
Keaveney,  Edward 
Keefe,  D.  Joseph 
Keefe,  Francis  P. 
Keefe,  John 
Keene,  Herbert  W. 
Kelleher,  J.  P. 
Kelleher,  Michael 
Kelleher,  Michael  J.  T 
Kelleher,  Thomas  J. 
Kelley,  Francis  M. 
Kelley,  George 
Kelley,  John  A. 
Kelley,  John   C. 
Kelley,  Joseph  A. 
Kelley,  Michael  E. 
Kelley,  M.  Henry 
Kelley,  Thomas  M. 
Kelley,  Walter  F. 
Kelley,  William  A. 
Kelly,  Charles  J. 
Kelly,  James  F. 
Kelly,  James  T. 
Kelly,  Michael 
Kelly,  Thomas  J. 
Kennedy,  Thomas  J. 
Kenney,  Charles  J. 
Kenney,  Edward 
Kenney,  John  J. 
Kenney,  Thomas  E. 
Kerrigan,  Francis  J. 
Keough,  James  F. 
Keough,  Joseph  J. 
Keough,  Patrick  J. 
Kear,  Francis  N. 


578       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


Kerrigan,  James  L. 

Kerrigan,  William  T. 

Kerwin,  C.  A. 

Kerwin,  John  J. 

Kerwin,  Thomas  G. 

Kieran,  John  F. 

Kilday,  John  J. 

Kilduff,  Edward 

Kilduff,  Edward 

Kilduff,  William  J. 

Kiley,  Cornelius  J. 

Kilroy,  Frank 

Kilroy,  Joseph 

Kilroy,  Lawrence  A. 

Kilroy,  Thomas  F. 

Kilroy,  Walter  E.  J. 

Kilroy,  William  F. 

Kilroy,  William  F. 

Kinsella,  James  L. 

Kneeland,  Joseph  A. 

Koelsch,  Joseph  M. 

Koessler,  Walter  C. 

Korman,  Frank  A. 

Korman,  Ignatius  F. 

Kuntz,  Joseph  G. 

Lacey,  James 

Lamalfa,  Pasquale 

Lamar,  Francis 
Lambert,  G.  I. 
Lane,  Francis  J. 
Lane,  George  A. 
Lane,  James 
Lane,  Thomas 
Lang,  Louis  G. 
Langdon,  Thomas 
Lannon,  John  J. 
Lannon,  Joseph  J. 
Lannon,  Michael  J. 
Lapsley,  John  P. 
Leary,  Cornelius 
Leary,  Michael 
Lennon,  Thomas  B. 
Leonard,  Francis  W 
Leonard,  John   F. 
Leverone,  John  L. 
Lewis,  Fred 


Leydon,  John 

Loftus,  Leo  G. 

Long,  James  J. 

Long,  John  D. 

Long,  Michael 

Loonie,  Francis  K. 

Lordon,  John  J. 

Lowney,  John  T. 

Lundy,  Thomas  F. 

Lydon,  John  J. 

Lynch,  Bernard  G. 

Lynch,  Edward 

Lynch,  Edward 

Lynch,  Francis  J. 

Lynch,  Joseph 

Lyons,  Edward  F. 

Lyons,  Martin  J. 

Lyons,  Thomas  J. 

MacDonald,  John  A. 

MacDonald,  Alfred  C. 

MacDonald,  Francis  W. 

MacDonald,  Frank  A. 

MacDonald,  John 

MacDonald,  John  E. 

MacGillivray,  Wm.   W.   S. 

MacKenzie,  Joseph  C. 

Mackin,  Charles  J. 

MacLellan,  Albert  C. 
MacLellan,  Bruce  J. 
MacLellan,  Wallace  S. 
Madden,  Michael 
Madden,  Michael 
Madden,  Thomas  E. 
Magennis,  Patrick  J. 
Maguire,  Joseph  T. 
Magurrill,  Francis  J. 
Mahan,  Joseph  H. 
Mahoney,  Francis  C. 
Mahoney,  John  J. 
Mahoney,  Thomas  F. 
Malley,  Joseph  R. 
Maloney,  Edward  J. 
Maloney,  Francis 
Maney,  James  P. 
Mann,  Joseph  F. 
Manning,  John  J. 


"THE  STARS  AND  STRIPES  FOREVER!"     579 


Manning,  Joseph  P. 
Manning,  Patrick  J. 
Manning,  Thomas  J. 
Marion,  John  F. 
Marshall,  Clifford  W. 
Martel,  Alfred  J. 
Martin,  Francis  A. 
Martin,  Joseph  A. 
Mathi,  George  J. 
Mathis,  Harold  F. 
Mayock,  John  P. 
Meade,  Edward  W, 
Meade,  Joseph  F. 
Meehan,  John  J. 
Meehan,  John  P. 
Menton,  Thomas  J. 
Meskill,  James  J. 
Meskill,  Jeremiah 
Meskill,  William 
Mone,  John  P. 
Monohan,  William  C. 
Montgomery,  Richard  A. 
Mooney,  Daniel  H. 
Moore,  F.  J. 
Moore,  James  V. 
Moore,  John  J. 
Moore,  Martin  J. 
Moore,  Vincent  W. 
Moran,  Thomas  J. 
Moriarity,  Daniel  F. 
Moriarty,  Daniel  J. 
Morrissey,  Albert 
Moylan,  John  J. 
Moylan,  Peter  J. 
Moylon,  Michael  G. 
Mudge,  William  F. 
Mulcahy,  John 
Mulkeen,  John  L. 
Mullaney,  Patrick   J. 
Mullaney,  Patrick 
Mullaney,  Richard  F. 
Muller,  William  P. 
Mulloy,  Patrick  J. 
Mulrooney,  John  J. 
Mulroy,  Martin  J. 
Mulvey,  Thomas  H. 


Murphy,  Dr.  Edward 
Murphy,  Frank  J. 
Murphy,  Francis  J. 
Murphy,  James   A. 
Murphy,  James  J. 
Murphy,  John  F. 
Murphy,  John  F. 
Murphy,  Michael  J. 
Murphy,  Morgan  C. 
Murphy,  Patrick  J. 
Murray,  Charles 
Murray,  James  A. 
Murray,  John  H. 
Murray,  John 
Murray,  John  J. 
Murray,  Kieran 
Murray,  Patrick 
Murray,  Peter  J. 
Murray,  Thomas 
Murray,  William 
Murray,  William  P. 
McAdam,  Alexander 
McAuley,  John  E. 
McAuley,  John 
McBrearty,  John  J. 
McBrearty,  Joseph 
McCabe,  Thomas  F. 
McCarron,  Henry  A. 
McCarron,  James 
McCarthy,  Chas.  E. 
McCarthy,  Daniel  G. 
McCarthy,  Edwin  G. 
McCarthy,  Frederick  L 
McCarthy,  James  F. 
McCarthy,  James  L. 
McCarthy,  James  J. 
McCarthy,  James  L. 
McCarthy,  John  D. 
McCarthy,  John  F. 
McCarthy,  John  H. 
McCarthy,  John 
McCarthy,  John  J. 
McCarthy,  John  J. 
McCarthy,  Joseph  W. 
McCarthy,  Michael  J. 
McCarthy,  M.  J. 


580       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


McCarthy,  Timothy 
McCarthy,  Wesley  J. 
McCarthy,  Wm.  H. 
McCarthy,  Wm.  J. 
McCauley,  John  J. 
McCloskey,  William  F. 
McCormack,  James 
McCormack,  John 
McCormack,  Thomas  A. 
McCormick,  Dan 
McCourt,  Thomas  H. 
McCue,  John  J. 
McDaniel,  Arthur  M. 
McDermott,  Daniel 
McDermott,  John  T. 
McDermott,  Patrick 
McDermott,  Thomas 
McDonald,  Donald  J. 
McDonald,  Frank  A. 
McDonald,  George  A. 
McDonald,  George  J. 
McDonald,  John  R. 
McDonald,  Joseph  W. 
McDougel,  Alexander  G. 
McElligott,  E.  Richard 
McEnroe,  Joseph  F. 
McFarland,  Michael 
McGann,  John  J. 
McGarry,  Francis  F. 
McGarry,  Wentworth  J. 
McGillicuddy,  Michael  J. 
McGilloway,  Joseph 
McGinnis,  Patrick 
McGinnis,  Thomas 
McGlone,  Hugh  B. 
McGlone,  James  S. 
McGlone,  John  J. 
McGlone,  Louis 
McGowan,  B.   J. 
McGowan,  Chas.  A. 
McGowan,  Wm.  A. 
McGrady,  Henry  F. 
McGrail,  John  V. 
McGrath,  Thomas 
McHugh,  Gerald 
McHugh,  Joseph  P. 


McHugh,  William  T. 
Mclnnis,  Victor  A. 
Mclntosh,  Wm.  M. 
Mclntosh,  Thos.  G. 
Mclntyrc,  James  A. 
McKenna,  Daniel 
McKenna,  James  J. 
McKenna,  Jeremiah  J. 
McKenna,  Maurice  C. 
McKinnon,  P.  Russell 
McKinnon,  William 
McLaughlin,  Geo.  J. 
McLaughlin,  John  E. 
McLaughlin,  John  J. 
McLaughlin,  Joseph  D. 
McLaughlin,  Lawrence  J. 
McLaughlin,  Wm.  H. 
McLelen,  Thomas  E. 
McLoughlin,  James  P. 
McManus,  Charles 
McManus,  Dennis  E. 
McManus,  Joseph 
McManus,  Wm.  J. 
McMillan,  Daniel 
McMillan,  Hugh  L. 
McMorrow,  Wm.  J. 
McMullen,  Daniel  P. 
McNamara,  Francis  T. 
McNamara,  Henry  E. 
McNamara,  Owen  J. 
McNicholas,  James  A. 
McNicholas,  John  T. 
McNicholas,  Richard  J. 
McNulty,  John  J. 
McRae,  Joseph 
McSharry,  John 
Nagle,  George  G. 
Nagle,  John  F. 
Nagle,  Timothy 
Nagle,  Wm.  J. 
Nangle,  John  J. 
Needham,  Michael 
Nelson,  Charles  H. 
Nelson,  Wm.  H. 
Neville,  Edward  A. 
Nichols,  George  R. 


"THE  STARS  AND  STRIPES  FOREVER!"    581 


Nicholas,  Ray 
Nicholson,  Orrin  A. 
Niland,  William  J. 
Noel,  George  L. 
Nolan,  James  F. 
Nolan,  Stephen 
Noll,  Arthur 
Noonan,  Edward  J. 
Normile,  Francis  P. 
Normile,  Joseph  P. 
Norris,  Wm.  J. 
Norton,  John  H. 
Norton,  Thomas 
Norton,  Timothy  J. 
Oakes,  Peter 
O'Brien,  Chas.  J. 
O'Brien,  Edward  J. 
O'Brien,  Joseph  F. 
O'Brien,  Joseph  M. 
O'Brien,  Patrick 
O'Brien,  Patrick  J. 
O'Brien,  Thomas  J. 
O'Brien,  Wm.  E. 
O'Brien,  Wm.  J. 
O'Brien,  Wm.  J. 
O'Connell,  Frank  D. 
O'Connell,  George  R. 
O'Connell,  George  V. 
O'Connell,  Harold  C. 
O'Connell,  James  E. 
O'Connor,  D. 
O'Connor,  Edward 
O'Connor,  Edward  B. 
O'Connor,  Edward  T. 
O'Connor,  John  F. 
O'Donnell,  George 
O'Donnell,  James  F. 
O'Driscoll,  John  J. 
O'Hare,  Albert 
O'Hare,  John  J. 
O'Keefe,  Jas.  F. 
O'Leary,  Frank  J. 
O'Leary,  James  P. 
O'Leary,  Thomas  F. 
O'Malley,  Matthew  J. 
O'Mara,  John  J. 


O'Meara,  Jeremiah  J. 
O'Meara,  Stephen  H. 
O'Neil,  Arthur  D. 
O'Neil,  John 
O'Neil,  John 
O'Neil,  Paul  J. 
O'Neill,  Eugene  J. 
O'Rourke,  James  A. 
O'Shea,  John  J. 
O'Sullivan,  Patrick  J. 
O'Sullivan,  Thomas 
O'Toole,  Patrick  L. 
Pallis,  James 
Parsons,  Lester  J. 
Pendergast,  Patrick 
Phinn,  Frank  G. 
Phinn,  Henry  J. 
Phinn,  Peter  J. 
Pierce,   John   J. 
Planey,  Daniel  T. 
Pond,  Edward  C.  J. 
Power,  Frank  G. 
Powers,  John 
Powers,  Joseph  F. 
Prasse,  Herman  J. 
Prendergast,  Lawrence 
Prendergast,  John 
Prendergast,  Joseph 
Prendergast,  Norman 
Prunty,  Joseph 
Prunty,  Stephen  L. 
Prunty,  Thomas  V. 
Quinlan,  Jas.  P. 
Quinlan,  John 
Quinn,  Patrick  J. 
Rauzieno,  Luigi 
Ready,  Joseph  F. 
Reagan,  Wm.  F. 
Reardon,  George  J. 
Reardon,  J.  William 
Reardon,  Paul  J. 
Reidy,  Cornelius  J. 
Reilly,  Stephen  F. 
Reiss,  Wm.  F. 
Resquets,  Isadore 
Reynolds,  Thomas 


582       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


Richards,  John  R. 
Riley,  Dennis  J. 
Riley,  John  J. 
Rily,  Stephen  F. 
Roberts,  C.  Joseph 
Rochford,  Patrick 
Rogers,  Francis 
Rooney,  James  S. 
Root,  Russell 
Roth,  Frederick 
Rowan,  Joseph 
Rowan,  Martin 
Rush,  John  J. 
Ryan,  Harold  J. 
Ryan,  James  E. 
Ryan,  John  F. 
Ryan,  Michael 
Saarm,  Henry 
Salmon,  Michael 
Sampson,  Lewis  S. 
SanSouci,  William  J. 
Santos,  Gil 
Sartous,  Walter  A. 
Scanlon,  Wm.  F. 
Scannell,  Daniel 
Schall,  James 
Schlier,  Walter  A. 
Sears,  Roy 
Sears,  W.  R. 
Shannon,  James  T. 
Shaughnessy,  Fred  J. 
Shaughnessy,  John  J. 
Shaw,  Carroll  F. 
Shea,  Albert  T. 
Shea,  Charles  R. 
Shea,  Francis  J. 
Shea,  James  P. 
Shea,  John    L. 
Shea,  John  W. 
Shea,  Patrick 
Sheehan,  Cornelius  F. 
Sheehan,  Lawrence  F. 
Sheehan,  Jeremiah 
Sheehan,  Joseph  J. 
Sheehan,  P.  J. 
Sheerin,  Harold  G. 


Sheerin,  Joseph 
Sheehy,  John  J. 
Sheils,  Daniel  G. 
Sheils,  Henry  C. 
Shepperd,  George  J. 
Sherlock,  Michael 
Shine,  Edward  T. 
Shinkwin,  John  J. 
Shruhan,  T.  A. 
Simpson,  James 
Simpson,  John  A. 
Simpson,  Wm.  J. 
Skinnion,  Michael 
Slattery,  John  J. 
Slevins,  Frank  J. 
Smith,  Chas.   B. 
Smith,  Frank  G. 
Smith,  Frank  T. 
Smith,  George  J. 
Smith,  Herbert  D. 
Smith,  John  J. 
Smith,  John 
Smith,  Peter  A. 
Spellman,  Charles  R. 
Spellman,  Francis 
Spellman,  Harry  J. 
Spencer,  Frederick  J. 
Spencer,  Henry  T.  A. 
Stapleton,  Thomas  J. 
Stone,  Edgar  H. 
Stone,  Gerard  M. 
Stone,  John  J. 
Stone,  Milton  A. 
Stone,  Oliver  F. 
Sullivan,  Daniel  A. 
Sullivan,  Daniel  J. 
Sullivan,  Dennis  J. 
Sullivan,  Eugene  J. 
Sullivan,  Eugene  L. 
Sullivan,  Francis  P. 
Sullivan,  George  T. 
Sullivan,  James  F. 
Sullivan,  James  F. 
Sullivan,  James  J. 
Sullivan,  John  F. 
Sullivan,  John  H. 


"THE  STARS  AND  STRIPES  FOREVER!"    588 


Sullivan,  John  G. 
Sullivan,  John  H. 
Sullivan,  John  J. 
Sullivan,  Joseph 
Sullivan,  Joseph  F. 
Sullivan,  Neil 
Sullivan,  Richard  F. 
Sweeney,  Joseph  P. 
Sweeney,  Robert 
Swift,  E.  B. 
Thornton,  John  F. 
Tierney,  Albert  G. 
Tierney,  Patrick  J. 
Tobin,  Richard  J. 
Toohey,  John  P. 
Tracey,  Harold 
Tracey,  James  J. 
Tracey,  Patrick  J. 
Tracey,  Thomas  J. 
Tracey,  William 
Trowbridge,  Joseph  F. 
Tuohy,  Jos.  P. 
Tully,  Joseph  R. 
Tully,  Leonard  B. 
Tully,  William 
Tumility,  James  J. 
Troy,  Maurice  P. 
Turly,  Edward  J. 
Twiss,  Patrick 
Twomey,  Thomas 
Twomsley,  James  L. 
Twomsley,  Neil  A. 
Vandermace,  Frank 
Villaflor,  Fortunata 
Von  Emo,  Charles  F. 
Von  Euw,  Charles  F. 
Waddick,  James  H. 
Waible,  Leo  J. 
Waldron,  George  J. 
Waldron,  Michael  D. 
Zekan, 


Walker,  George 
Wall,  Joseph  A. 
Wallace,  Philip 
Wallace,  William 
Walsh,  Andrew  G. 
Walsh,  Arthur 
Walsh,  Gerald 
Walsh,  Martin  F. 
Walsh,  Walter  J. 
Walsh,  William 
Walsh,  Wm.  C. 
Walsh,  Wm.  H. 
Ward,  Edmund  F. 
Ward,  Francis 
Ward,  Frederick  A. 
Ward,  John  H. 
Ward,  John  J. 
Ward,  John  M. 
Ward,  Wm.  H. 
Weidman,  Joseph  M. 
Weidman,  Lawrence  J. 
Welch,  John  H. 
Welles,  Wm.  R. 
Welsh,  Michael  J. 
Wenger,  Joseph  A. 
Wentworth,  Walter  W. 
Whillen,  Leo  T. 
White,  Thomas  J. 
Wilkinson,  John  J. 
Williams,  John  J. 
Williams,  Thomas  F. 
Willour,  Mark 
Winn,  Charles 
Winn,  Owen  J. 
Woods,  Ambrose  J. 
Wucher,  Bernard  F. 
Whyllie,  Richard  T> 
Young,  George  G. 
Young,  Leo  T. 
Yurawicz,  Raphael 
Alexander 


584       THE  GLORIES  OF  MARY  IN  BOSTON 


THE  FOLLOWING  DIED  IN  THE  SERVICE: 

Carberry,  Thomas  J.  Hurley,  Frank 

Condon,  Thomas  J.  Kelley,  John  C. 

Corbett,  William  J.  Killduff,  Edward 

Davin,  Martin  Kilroy,  Walter  C. 

Dolan,  Edward  M.  Kuntz,  Joseph  G. 

Dolan.  Francis  E.  Mooney,  Daniel  H. 

Fallen,  Joseph  J.  McCarthy,  Edwin  G. 

Fitzgerald,  Martin  H.  McCloskey,  Wm.  F. 

Fitzsimmons,   Bernard  T.               McLoughlin,  James  P. 

Golden,  George  F.  O'Leary,  Frank  J. 

Gormley,  John  R.  Phinn,  Frank  G. 

Gurney,  Cornelius  B.  Shea,  John  W. 

Hanlon,  Francis  S.  Shea,  Walter 

Hayes,  Andrew  F.  Tobin,  Richard  J. 
Tracey,  Thomas  J. 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A     001  043  344     9 


